13.03.2025 12:02
Japan is discussing the issue of visa requirements for Turkish citizens due to the increasing number of refugee applications in the country and incidents involving settlers from Turkey. In the Japanese Parliament, the implementation of "controlled entry" for certain countries, including Turkey, has been brought up. The government has stated that they will not take action on this matter for now, emphasizing the importance of friendship.
Japan is reviewing the visa-free travel application for Turkey. Japan, which is among the countries that can be traveled to without a visa from Turkey, has opened discussions about changing its visa policy, citing the increasing number of refugee applications in the country in recent years. According to reports in Japan Forward, the Japanese government has put "controlled entry" for certain countries, including Turkey, on its agenda. This issue was first discussed at the end of January in the Japanese National Assembly, and government officials stated that they would address the matter carefully.
TURKEY IN THE TOP 10 FOR REFUGEE APPLICATIONS
Turkey, which is among the top 10 countries applying for refugee status in Japan, is the only country with visa exemption. Japanese officials believe that this situation increases the need to monitor entries into the country. Additionally, it was noted that the involvement of individuals linked to the PKK who have entered Japan using Turkish citizenship in many social incidents in recent years has led to a review of visa policies.
90 DAYS MAY BE SHORTENED
During a parliamentary budget subcommittee meeting on February 27, Liberal Democratic Party member Akihisa Shiozaki stated that Japan had introduced a 'Visa Recommendation Measure' for certain countries instead of completely abolishing visa exemptions. He suggested that Japan should evaluate this approach for Turkey as well. With the current application, Turkish citizens can stay in the country without a visa for up to 90 days, but if this proposal is accepted, they may be able to stay without a visa for a much shorter period.
"FRIENDSHIP" RESPONSE
Deputy Foreign Minister Hisashi Matsumoto, in his response to the member of parliament, maintained the government's current stance on the suspension of visa exemption. Matsumoto stated, "This contributes to the friendly relations between the two countries, and at this point, we do not see an urgent need for suspension."
The visa exemption applied to Turkey came to the fore in 2023 after tensions between PKK supporters and local residents and police forces in Kawaguchi.