16 January 2018•Update: 17 January 2018
By Mohamed Ali Akman
BEIRUT
A new office at which foreign nationals can obtain Turkish visas (except for Lebanese citizens who can already travel to Turkey visa-free) opened its doors in Beirut on Tuesday.
Speaking at an inauguration ceremony attended by Turkish Ambassador to Lebanon Cagatay Erciyes, office director Ali Iski said the new bureau would be of particular importance to Syrian and Palestinian refugees.
"All foreigners in Lebanon will be able to obtain Turkish visas through this office,” he said.
“Anyone who makes an appointment through the embassy’s website can come to the office with their necessary documents,” Iski added.
“Results, positive or negative, will be issued within one week," the official said.
The new office, Iski went on to note, would allow Turkish embassy staff to process up to 100 visa applications per day -- up from a current 20 -- thus facilitating travel to Turkey by foreign nationals.
As it currently stands, the roughly 1.5 million Syrian refugees now residing in Lebanon -- along with Syrians living in capital Damascus -- must apply through Turkey's Beirut embassy to obtain Turkish visas.
Due to the large number of visa requests, therefore, the application process can sometimes last months.
Visa agreement
Thanks to a 2010 visa agreement between Ankara and Beirut, Turkish and Lebanese citizens no longer have to obtain prior visas when visiting each other’s countries.
Recent years have seen a significant increase in the number of tourists visiting Turkey, a favored vacation spot for many Lebanese tourists.
Lebanon's Middle East Airlines currently operates two flights per day from Beirut to Istanbul and three flights per day from Istanbul to Beirut.
*Ali Murat Alhas contributed to this report from Ankara
