Turkey Did Not Exempt Syrians from Entry Visas
The Claim
Turkey has exempted Syrians from entry visas after a decision from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
News posted on
Emerging story
Multiple social media users shared claims that the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has exempted Syrians from entering Turkey without a visa. Posts stated that Turkey will, as of March 5, 2021, lift the visa requirements for Syrian citizens.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar's investigation found the circulating claim to be false. There are no reports that the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs changed the visa requirements for Syrian citizens.
The rumor was circulating in Arabic on a stamp for a Turkish tourism company, Tukey Step. However, Turkey Step posted on their official Facebook account that they had been hacked.
Misbar contacted several Syrians who recently visited Turkey, either to visit their families or study, and they confirmed that they went through the regular visa procedures. Thus, some Syrian applicants found difficulty in obtaining approval.
In addition, the Turkish Embassy in Beirut refuted the claims.
This article was originally published on Misbar's Arabic website, and was translated by Malak Zamzam.
