Turkey appeals to Council of Europe over triple increase in Schengen visa rejections

Duvar English

Turkey has filed an appeal to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) after it saw a triple increase in the number of Schengen visa rejections for Turkish citizens.

According to the report submitted to PACE, the European Union countries rejected 4 percent of the Schengen visa applications of Turkish citizens in 2014. But, this figure rose to 12.7 percent in 2020, marking a whopping 300 percent increase, according to reporting by Hürriyet newspaper.

Turkey's report said that EU countries were asking too many and unnecessary documents, their visa application fees were too high and were turning direct application process into a very difficult process.

The report was submitted by Ziya Altunyaldız, a member of PACE and a lawmaker from Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

The report read: “It has been observed in some of the implementations that states in the Schengen Area have been denying access to their lands. States in the Schengen Area need to use the Schengen Information System in a joint standard. The use of the information in the system should not violate human rights, the right to private and family life and the right to travel.”

Schengen visa fees are between 60 to 90 euros, varying according to the country. On top of these fees, EU countries require several other documents from Turkish citizens such as bank account information, proof of other financial means, travel insurance policy, plane tickets, and proof of accommodation, among several others.