New Fast-track Visa for Turkish Travelers to 10 Greek Islands

Greek Prime Minster Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Athens and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Photo source: Press Office of PM

Travelers from Turkey will be able to visit 10 Greek islands with a fast-track temporary visa, announced Greek Prime Minster Kyriakos Mitsotakis after his historic meeting on Thursday with Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Under the agreement, one of 15 announced after the visit, Turkish citizens will be able all year round for seven days to visit the Eastern Aegean Greek islands of Kalymnos, Limnos, Leros, Kos, Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Kos, Rhodes, Symi, and Kastelorizo with a fast-track visa.

The seven-day visa will be issued on the spot and will be valid for a 12-month period. The success of the visa program will be assessed by both sides. A similar scheme was in effect until 2019 under an initial no-visa pilot program launched in 2012.

Photo source: Press Office of PM

 “Greece requested and secured EU approval to allow the possibility for Turks and their families to visit all year round 10 of our islands,” said Mitsotakis. He went on to add that the initiative carried a strong message “that the Greek islands are a bridge of communication and friendship between the two countries”.

Among others, Greece and Turkey also signed a joint declaration to pursue “good neighborly relations”.

Commenting on the decision, Greek Migration Minister Dimitris Kairidis said the accord was a measure that “brings the two peoples together. It is something that our citizens want very much,” he said.

Photo source: Press Office of PM

In October, Turkey’s Ambassador to Greece Cagatay Erciyes called  for the reinstatement of the pilot program which simplified visa requirements for a number of Greek island ports which welcome a large number of visitors from Turkey.

Erdogan last visited Athens in December 2017, when he met with Alexis Tsipras.

Photo source: Press Office of PM

Mitsotakis and Erdogan are scheduled to co-chair the 5th meeting of the Turkey-Greece High-Level Cooperation Council.
A sign of “our good intentions”, said Erdogan, is convening the fifth round of the high-level cooperation council which was halted six years ago.