Visa for Turkish citizens: Which Greek islands does it concern – A matter of great importance for Turkey
In the agreement reached for the granting visas to Turkish citizensso that facilitate their visits to the Greek islands said the prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakisafter today’s (7.12) meeting with the Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The Greek Prime Minister emphasized that Greece and Turkey must live in peace, while recalling what was agreed upon in the previous meetings and emphasized that today’s meeting between the two leaders is the third in a short period of time.
“Greece sought and secured EU approval so as to activate the possibility for Turks and their families to visit 10 of our islands all year round which either have refugee structures or have a shipping connection with Turkey”, noted Mr. Mitsotakis. He also emphasized that: “Bilateral relations experienced fluctuations. But the two countries are walking a more peaceful path. Our differences are known but we must seek solutions”.
After the “green light” of the European Union through the Commissioner for Migration, the visa will be granted for visits to the following islands of the eastern Aegean:
- Lemnos
- Lesvos
- Chios
- Samos
- Leros
- Kalymnos
- Kos
- Rhodes
- Symi
- Kastelorizo
Based on the agreement the visa will be granted on site with the arrival of Turkish citizens and will last 7 days. Greece and Turkey have agreed that the agreement will last for one year and then its validity will be reviewed.
Kairides for visa granting: It is something that our citizens want very much
As the Minister of Immigration stated earlier today, Dimitris Kairides, speaking in the First Schedule 91.6 and 105.8 the visa agreement “is a measure that brings the two peoples together. It is something that our akrites want very much, who they have shouldered so much weight in immigration management». He also added that this is an agreement made with the European Commission.
“Greece is a Schengen country and requests a “derogation” from Schengen, so that Turkish citizens can more easily visit the islands of the eastern Aegean. Thanks to the very good cooperation we have with the European Commission after the problems we faced, due to Pylos (…), the line was to face them and deepen this cooperation, which is also expressed with more European staff here at Frontex, the European Asylum Service (…) and with additional funding and of course with the visa issue. Let me remind you that the islands of the eastern Aegean will be the only exception in the Schengen zone, there is no such facility anywhere else. It is something that the Turks really want, of course, and our islanders want it very much,” said the minister and added that this facility will not only apply to the summer season, it will be for the whole year for the first time.
“It concerns islands which do not have the tourism of Rhodes. And Rhodes will be included, but islands that don’t have the charters, that don’t have the international flights, that only have a little family tourism in August, like Lesvos for example, have a lot to benefit”, he pointed out, noting the islands covered by the agreement, namely Limnos, Lesbos, Chios, Samos, Leros, Kalymnos, Kos, Rhodes, Symi and Kastellorizo.
Greece has assured the proper implementation of the measure by the Greek Police, because visas will again be given, checks will be done again, it will just be done on the spot in the Greek islands, he said.
See more about Erdogan’s visit to Greece
