U.S.,Turkey mutually resume visa services

ANKARA, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Turkey and the United States on Thursday announced that they allowed full resumption of visa services after three months of suspension caused by diplomatic crisis.

The U.S. embassy in Ankara first announced that the Department of State has resumed full visa services in Turkey.

Based on assurances given by Ankara, "the Department of State is confident that the security posture has improved sufficiently to allow for the full resumption of visa services in Turkey," the U.S. embassy said on its Twitter account.

According to the embassy, Ankara assured the U.S. embassy that "there are no additional local employees of U.S. mission in Turkey under investigation, and local staff of U.S. embassy and consulates will not be detained or arrested for performing their officials duties, including communicating with Turkish officials also working in an official capacity, and Turkish authorities will inform the U.S. government in advance if the government of Turkey intends to detain or arrest any member of U.S. local staff in the future," the U.S. embassy tweeted.

Shortly after the U.S. statement, the Turkish embassy in Washington declared on Twitter resumption of visa services on U.S. citizens.

However, Ankara stressed that the detained staff of the U.S. consulate in Turkey was not arrested due to his official duty and no assurances was given in that regard.

"We find it wrong to misinform the Turkish and the American public by claiming that the U.S. received assurances from Turkey," the statement said.

It also said Turkey was seriously concerned about legal cases in the U.S. involving Turkish citizens.

The U.S. visa imposition began after Turkey arrested Metin Topuz, a local employee in U.S. consulate in Istanbul, on Oct. 4 over espionage charges and alleged links to the group of U.S.-based preacher Fethullah Gulen, who is blamed by Ankara for the July 15, 2016 coup attempt. Enditem