ISTANBUL: Outside the EU’s visa application center in an Istanbul shopping mall, a large crowd waits patiently, clutching thick folders and scanning lists of required documents one last time, their anxiety palpable as they await the security guard’s call.
With top European Union officials in Ankara ahead of next week’s NATO summit, the recurring issue of Europe’s long-promised visa liberalization scheme was likely hovering over the talks as frustration grows in Turkiye over Schengen visa delays and rising rejections.
Guney Hazan, a 19-year-old student, was one of the lucky ones. “Finally!” he shouted after ripping open the envelope containing his passport to find a Schengen visa affixed, opening the door to a university exchange program in Germany.
“Even though all my documents were in order, I was anxiously awaiting the result. You never know these days,” he told AFP.
With demand rising and a mounting backlog, applicants routinely face a long and anxiety-inducing wait that can also be very expensive.
