Visa Suspension Causes Chaos for American Travelers to Turkey
Update 12/28/2017: The Turkey-US visa spat has been resolved and now Americans are able to easily apply for Turkish e-visas once again.
As the diplomatic row between Washington, D.C. and Ankara rose to new levels this week, with both countries suspending non-immigrant visas and effectively ending tourism between them, both American and Turkish travelers and businesses found themselves engulfed in chaos, with few clues as to what to expect next.
"I called the Turkish consulate in Boston and the Turkish embassy in Washington, the visa call center and Turkish Airlines, and basically everyone was like, 'We don't know yet, but call this person,' and then that person is like, 'Call this other person,'" said Gary Clark, a 33-year-old toilet salesman from Chico, Calif., who had planned a 15-hour layover in Istanbul on Oct. 14 as part of his honeymoon. "Basically, everyone's passing the buck."
Turkish Airlines told Clark that he and his wife would have to remain in the arrivals section of the airport, so he canceled a reservation at a Hyatt hotel — and their plans for soaking in Turkish culture. He and his wife now plan on spending a couple hours confined to the airport before boarding a plane to Naples.
"I was excited to tour Istanbul," he said. "We'd booked the hotel, booked a car, and we were going to drop our bags off and go explore like I'd always wanted. You know, the Grand Bazaar, trying local Turkish food, going over to the Asian side — two continents but one city — stuff like that. Now, honestly I'm just hoping they'll let us on the plane at SFO."
In Lisbon, The Points Guy reader Shannon A. expected to enjoy a 24-hour layover in Istanbul Monday night, but was told that Americans weren't allowed in after 10pm, meaning her flight, which was scheduled to land at 10:25pm, was now useless, even though she had a visa. She was rebooked onto a TAP Air Portugal flight out of Lisbon.
"The other option was to spend tonight in the airport in Istanbul," she said in an email. "All [the Turkish Airlines personnel] knew was that starting at 10, US citizens wouldn't be allowed in. ... They were apologetic for not having more info."
Turkish Airlines has instituted a change and refund program for tickets for flights scheduled from Oct. 9 to Oct. 31 and terminating in Turkey, but calls and emails from TPG to the Turkish Airlines press office went unanswered, with the phone calls transferred to a machine. It was the same at the Turkish embassy in Washington, D.C., with no responses to emails by the time of publication and phone calls either sent to a machine or simply left ringing.
In an email, a US Department of State spokesman said only, "We have nothing beyond the Embassy statement at this time."
That statement, issued by the US embassy in Ankara on Sunday, reads: "In order to minimize the number of visitors to our Embassy and Consulates while this assessment [of the Turkish government's commitment to the security of US facilities] proceeds, effective immediately we have suspended all non-immigrant visa services at all US diplomatic facilities in Turkey."
Turks in or traveling to the US may have an easier time of it, according to New York-based immigration lawyer Ayhan Ogmen. The conditions placed on visas for Turks apply only to the embassy and consulates in Turkey, and isn't a ban on Turkish citizens, who can still apply for non-immigrant visas through the appropriate US offices outside of Turkey. Those with multiple-entry tourist visas or O1 or H1 visas "will not have any problems" reentering the US, he added.
In Turkey, accurate information was even harder to come by, with those most affected by the new policies — including hoteliers like Sedat Aklan, owner of the Adahan Hotel in Istanbul — left powerless and uninformed. Reached in the evening in Istanbul, hours after the US and Turkey made their announcements, Aklan said he was caught completely unawares.
"I don't understand what's happening. I really don't have any idea," he said. "I never guessed something like this would ever happen."
The number of American guests booking rooms at the hotel has dwindled since US embassies and the State Department started issuing travel warnings about Turkey, starting at least in October 2016, and Aklan has become resigned to suffering the consequences of diplomatic gamesmanship between his country and the US.
"Is it a long-term process? I don't know," he said. "If something happens, what can we do?"
Wallace Cotton JT Genter and Aslı Pelit contributed reporting for this story.
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.