TURKEY LIFTED VISA REQUIREMENT FOR LITHUANIAN TOURISTS
The Government of Turkey lifted visa requirement for Lithuanian citizens, travelling to Turkey as tourists. New Ambassador of Turkey to Lithuania Omer Altug presented the note that confirms this step by Turkish Government during a meeting with Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Vygaudas Ušackas on 12 November in Vilnius.
The Minister welcomed the decision of Turkey’s Government and noted that it would facilitate travelling to this country of Lithuanian citizens, as tourists.
“Turkey is among the most popular destinations of Lithuanian tourists. Therefore, lifting the visa requirement is very important for Lithuania,” Minister V.Ušackas emphasized during the meeting.
Lithuania’s Foreign Minister raised the issue regarding the visa-free regime for Lithuanian tourists travelling to Turkey and regarding the facilitation of visa issuance procedures for individual categories of Turkish citizens during the visit of the then Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey Ali Babacan to Vilnius on 20 February this year.
From now on, Lithuanian citizens can travel to Turkey without visas and stay there as tourists for up to 90 days during the period of 180 days. The visa requirement remains for persons, travelling to Turkey on other purposes. The visa-free regime for Lithuanian tourists is already in force. However, there still is a possibility of some technical problems during the first days of the implementation of the decision.
The head of Lithuania’s diplomacy and the Ambassador of Turkey also discussed possibilities for closer political, economic and cultural cooperation between Lithuania and Turkey, Turkey’s progress in the EU accession.
Lithuania established diplomatic relations with Turkey on 3 September 1991. Omer Altug is the fourth Ambassador of Turkey to Lithuania.
In 2008, about 90 thousand Lithuanian citizens visited Turkey and paid a total of about 4.7 million litas for Turkish visas.
