Turkish citizens had significant obstacles while applying for Schengen visas, and the German government frequently rejected their requests.
With over 700,000 Turkish residents asking for Schengen visas in 2022, Türkiye has experienced a considerable increase in demand, placing the country at the top of the list for visa applications. More than 220,000 applications were handled by the German embassies, consulates, and visa facilities in 2017, of which 174,929 were approved.
Despite these numbers, a sizable percentage of visa applications are still turned down. 48,040 of the 120,876 visa applications submitted by Turkish citizens at the consulates in Ankara, Edirne, Istanbul, and Izmir last year were rejected by German officials, making Germany the top nation to deny Turkish citizens visa requests.
The latest issues bring to light persistent worries regarding the problems Turkish nationals face when applying for Schengen visas. Even though the situation has remained throughout time, diplomatic efforts to solve it continue. The EU Commission and diplomatic representatives continue to hold the position that the considerable visa rejections are not the result of political motivations.
Two Turkish staff members' attempts to enter Belgium were unsuccessful, which has hurt the Serbian women's national volleyball team's ability to compete in the CEV EuroVolley 2023 competition.
The reason for Belgium's denial of the visas was their "coaches' intent to return to their home country." Saim Pakkan and statistician Fatih Yac, who were hired to the technical staff of Italian head coach Giovanni Guidetti, who also leads Turkish side VakfBank, were the two applicants who were denied entry.
The Serbian team, the current world champion, was coached by Guidetti as of last December. Along with Yac, two new Turkish coaches, Pakkan and Ahmetcan Erşimşek, were hired in conjunction with his hiring.
The visa denials were given by Belgian authorities in response to Pakkan and Yac's visa requests, who wanted to travel to Belgium with the team for the group games. Despite the Serbian Volleyball Federation's involvement, attempts to remedy the problem have been fruitless.
"Sport is a bridge of friendship that dissolves the barriers that separate individuals from different nations... Given the expertise of the coaches involved, Guidetti bemoaned the situation's detrimental effects on volleyball's brand value.
With over 700,000 Turkish residents asking for Schengen visas in 2022, Türkiye has experienced a considerable increase in demand, placing the country at the top of the list for visa applications. More than 220,000 applications were handled by the German embassies, consulates, and visa facilities in 2017, of which 174,929 were approved.
Despite these numbers, a sizable percentage of visa applications are still turned down. 48,040 of the 120,876 visa applications submitted by Turkish citizens at the consulates in Ankara, Edirne, Istanbul, and Izmir last year were rejected by German officials, making Germany the top nation to deny Turkish citizens visa requests.
The latest issues bring to light persistent worries regarding the problems Turkish nationals face when applying for Schengen visas. Even though the situation has remained throughout time, diplomatic efforts to solve it continue. The EU Commission and diplomatic representatives continue to hold the position that the considerable visa rejections are not the result of political motivations.