The Turkish authorities have announced a visa waiver for Iraqi citizens aged under 15 and over 50. The scheme will take effect starting from 1 September 2024. The aim of the new regulation is to loosen controls at the Turkish-Iraqi border and attract more Iraqi travellers. However, critics fear the measure could damage Turkey's reputation.
Political background
The new visa waiver for Iraqis has been in the works for some time. This April, Turkish President Erdogan visited Iraq. During this visit, several matters were discussed with the aim of intensifying cooperation between the two countries. Some of the issues Erdogan insisted on included curbing the influence of various Kurdish movements in Iraq.
Iraqi authorities have agreed to ban a number of Kurdish parties. These include the PKK and parties affiliated to the PKK. The PKK has been fighting for an independent Kurdish state since the late 20th century, but is considered a terrorist organisation by many countries. By banning the PKK in Iraq, Erdogan hopes to secure Turkey's eastern borders and contain the influence of Kurdish independence movements in his own country.
The new visa waiver
The new visa waiver allows Iraqis who are under 15 or over 50 to cross the border without a visa. They can subsequently stay in Turkey for up to 90 days. Turkish authorities are hoping to facilitate family visits across the border with these measures, as well as boost economic activity at the border.
Turkey has long been a popular destination for Iraqis. This is reflected in e-visa statistics from the Turkish government. Between April 2013 and January 2017, around 2 million Turkish e-visas were issued to people of Iraqi nationality. This placed Iraq second in the list of nationalities that received the most Turkish e-visas.
Criticism from the Turkish opposition
Even though one of the aims of the visa waiver is to stimulate economic movement, the new policy also draws criticism. Critics fear that the policy can have negative consequences for Turkish passport holders. For instance, it could become more difficult for Turkish people to travel to Europe. A reason for this is that in recent yeras, many Iraqis have sought asylum in Europe. Turkish opposition parties fear that the visa waiver could incentivise this type of migration to Europe, which could put a strain on Turkish-European relations.
It seems that the Turkish government has anticipated this criticism. This seems to be the reason why only Iraqis of a certain age are granted visa-free entry to the country. The expectation is that Iraqis under 15 and over 50 are less likely to migrate to Europe or Turkey.
The e-visa for Turkey
For a long time, travellers from many European countries had to apply for an e-visa for Turkey to enter the country. For several years now, visa exemptions have been in place for many different nationalities. Even a few more countries were added to the list of countries allowed to travel visa-free to Turkey at the end of 2023.
Travellers from a certain number of countries, however, still need an Turkey e-visa. If you have the nationality of countries like Armenia, Jamaica or Mexico, you can apply for the e-visa via this website. An application costs £54.95 and the visa is granted within 3 days on average. If you are not sure whether you can apply for a visa with your nationality, you can use this passport checker to find out whether you need a visa.