Turk Press
Yesterday, Thursday, the Turkish Official Gazette published a presidential decree exempting a group of Iraqi citizens from the requirement to obtain an entry visa to Turkey, to be effective as of next September.
The legislative decree, signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, allows Iraqis under the age of 15 or over the age of 50 to travel to Turkey without a visa as of September 1.
The decision allows Iraqi citizens holding ordinary passports to travel to Turkey for tourism purposes or to reside for up to 90 days within a 180-day period, as well as to cross from Turkey for transit travelers, according to what was reported by “Syria TV”.
Last July, Turkey and Iraq reached an agreement that includes exempting certain age groups from visas, exchanging prisoners, and allowing prisoners with sentences of less than one year to serve their sentences in their countries.
This came after a meeting in Ankara between a delegation from the Iraqi Foreign Ministry and Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Yasin Ekrem Serim.
The Iraqi Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Legal Affairs, Omar Barzinji, explained in a statement to the Rudaw website that the agreement stipulates exempting Iraqis under the age of 15 or over the age of 50 from the requirement to obtain a visa to visit Turkey.
Prisoner delivery
Barzinji added that this decision will contribute to reducing the financial burdens on Iraqi citizens and residents of the Kurdistan Region, who currently pay between 130 and 200 US dollars to obtain a Turkish visa.
Barzinji also pointed out that the agreement includes a mechanism for exchanging prisoners, which will allow Iraqi prisoners sentenced in Turkey the opportunity to return to their homeland to complete their sentences.
A statement issued by the Iraqi Embassy in Turkey explained that the meeting addressed issues of illegal immigration, security, combating terrorism, and judicial cooperation between the two countries.
