Turkey's Schengen visa rejection rate soars, five times higher than embargoed Russia

Duvar English

While Turkish citizens face difficulties in obtaining Schengen visas for traveling Europe, demand for travel abroad is at its peak since the Covid-19 pandemic. Tourism agencies have been experiencing a hard time as those who want to apply for a visa have difficulty finding an appointment in visa centers, and those who find an appointment are rejected.

Turkey, ranking as the second-largest applicant for Schengen visas after Russia, faces a rejection rate that is nearly five times higher than that of Russia, which has been subjected to sanctions following its invasion of Ukraine.

Among the top five countries that have submitted the highest number of Schengen applications over the past eight years, Turkey now holds the unfortunate distinction of having the highest rejection rate, according to online news outlet Ekonomim.

Due to rejections, nearly 50 tours were canceled in 2022, while the loss of the agencies was close to 300,000 Euros.

Famous Turkish musician Volkan Konak on May 27 announced on his social media account that his visa application to Germany was rejected twice, so he had to cancel his concerts in the country.

The visa problem for Turkish citizens was also on the agenda in late 2022. At that time, the Foreign Ministry summoned the ambassadors of the relevant countries and announced that necessary actions were being taken.