Turkey did not want visa crisis with US, says Erdogan

By Cansu Dikme and Kubra Chohan

ANKARA (AA) - President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday said Turkey did not want to have a visa crisis with the United States.

“They started the visa crisis and thanks to them, they have ended it themselves. Great. We did not want visa crisis [with the US]. It is now ended. That is what should have happened anyway,” Erdogan said.

His remarks came during the provincial congress of ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party in northern province of Kastamonu.

On Thursday, the U.S. Embassy in Turkey announced the resumption of full visa services after nearly two months.

In a reciprocal move, Turkey also lifted restrictions on visa services for American citizens, according to the Turkish mission in the U.S.

On Oct. 8, the embassy suspended non-immigrant visas to Turkish nationals following the arrest of a local employee working at the U.S. Consulate in Istanbul, prompting a tit-for-tat response from Ankara.