U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Turkey Suspend Visa Processing 

Today, the U.S Embassy in Turkey announced via Twitter that visa services will be suspended until further notice to reduce the number of people exposed to safety risks currently posed at the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Turkey .  This means that Turkish citizens and third country nationals will not be able to apply for Non-Immigrant Visas (limited duration visas for travel or work in the U.S.) in Turkey until these services resume. 

Turkey has responded in kind with their announcement on October 9, 2017 that it will also suspend visa services at its Embassies and Consulates in the U.S.

It is unclear whether this announcement was prompted by a Turkish court’s order to remand in custody Metin Topuz, a Turkish national who was a locally hired employee of the U.S. Consulate in Istanbul.