Following complaints that Turkish citizens are being subject to a restrictive policy when applying for Schengen visas, the German Embassy in Ankara has said that Germany currently does not issue more visas to any other country.
The Embassy came out with a statement on the visa procedures on June 5 and assured everyone that they do not apply stricter measures to applicants from Türkiye, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
“Germany currently does not issue more visas to any country in the world than Turkey,” the statement of the German Embassy in Ankara reads.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also commented on the matter. The Ministry said for BBC that 40,000 more Schengen visas were issued to citizens of Türkiye in the first five months of this year compared to the same period last year.
Nonetheless, the Ministry did not share any information on the number of visas that were rejected in this period.
As for the total number of visas issued to Turkish citizens, the Ministry said that from the beginning of January until the end of May 2023, the German Embassy issued 100,000 Schengen visas and 18,000 national visas.
On the other hand, the numbers for the same period last year were 60,000 for Schengen visas and 16,000 for national visas, representing a significant increase.
Apart from Germany, the European Union has also just recently denied allegations of Schengen visa restrictions for Turkish citizens.
The EU Ambassador to Türkiye, Nikolaus Meyer-Landrut, said that the EU countries do not use any policy that is aimed at preventing the issuance of Schengen visas to citizens of Türkiye.
The same noted that they are currently working to decrease the waiting times and accelerate the processing time, and at the same time, stressed that the delays are happening mainly due to the high demand for Schengen visas.
Even though Turkish citizens have been facing Schengen visa-related problems, data show that Türkiye is the largest source of Schengen visa applications. In 2022, citizens of the latter filed more than 700,000 applications, and the number is expected to reach a new record high this year.
The highest number of Schengen visa applications in 2022 was filed at the embassies, consulates, and visa centres of Germany (223,99), Greece (164,829), and France (115,114).
Since Türkiye has not yet reached a visa-free travel agreement with the EU, all of its citizens continue to be subject to the visa requirement.
Turkish citizens are required to apply for a different visa depending on their reason for travel to the bloc. Those that want to enter the EU/Schengen Area for travel purposes need to apply for a Tourist Schengen Visa, which permits them to stay in the Area for up to 90 days within any 190-day period.
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