The Turkish government has announced that it will not issue visas to Somali government civil servants who have service passports.
This decision, which came into effect on July 18, was announced by Hamza Adan Hadow, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Somalia, referring to a letter from the Turkish Embassy in Mogadishu.
Hadow informed the ministries and agencies of the Somali government of the importance of informing their employees about this new change, following the diplomatic rules.
Although Turkey has been helping Somalia a lot, obtaining tourist visas, education, and medical visas from the Turkish Embassy has been a challenge for Somali citizens in recent years.
It is unclear the reasons for the denial of entry, but informed sources say that it may be related to immigration issues, as individuals from some African countries, including Somalia, use Turkey as a gateway to Europe.
