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The US ambassador to Turkey said on Monday the duration of a suspension in visa services in Turkey would depend on talks between the two governments regarding the detention of Turkish staff at the US embassy.
In a written statement, Ambassador John Bass said the length of the suspension would also depend on "the Turkish government's commitment to protecting our facilities and personnel here in Turkey," noting it was not a visa ban on Turkish citizens.
He said the embassy had been unable to learn the reasons for the arrest of a Turkish staff member last week and/or what evidence exists against the employee.
US ambassador to Turkey John Bass delivers a speech at the ambassador's residence in Ankara. /AFP Photo
The US and Turkey on Sunday scaled back visa issuing services in each other's countries in a deepening diplomatic row sparked by the arrest of a Turkish staffer at the American mission in Istanbul.
Turkey's Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the undersecretary of the US Embassy in Ankara on Monday, urging the US embassy for a reversal of decision, calling for an end to the dispute between the two countries.
(REUTERS)
