We tend to forget this in France: you still need an e-Visa for some of our European neighbors to visit the country at the gateway to Europe.
From March 2, the Turkish government has announced that 6 nationalities will now be able to visit the country without a visa for short stays (max 90 days out of a 180-day period). This concerns Austria, Belgium, Poland, the UK, the Netherlands and Spain.
75 million people visited Turkey last year, an increase of 14% that has only just begun.
From a tourist point of viewThis could have an impact on the number of visitors from these countries. The e-Visa, with its simplified process, has been an effective tool for encouraging tourism to Turkey. By making it more complicated for these nationalities to obtain a visa, there could be a drop in the number of tourists from these countries, affecting the Turkish tourism industry, already tested by various challenges in recent years.
DiplomaticallyHowever, such a decision could be seen as a reaction to tensions or disagreements between Turkey and these countries. Visas and immigration regimes are often used as levers in international relations. Although the exact reason for this decision is not clearly stated, it could be linked to political, economic or security disputes.
It is also possible that this measure is temporary, used as a negotiating tool in broader talks or to get a particular message across. However, it could also lead to reciprocity measures on the part of the countries concerned, affecting Turkish citizens wishing to travel to these countries.
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