Turkish tourists can now easily visit nearby Greek islands
A cheering sign of reduced tension in the eastern Mediterranean
FOR YEARS Ahmet Bayrakli could look at the Greek island of Samos only from his hometown of Kusadasi, on Turkey’s western coast. Despite the tiny distance between them—1,650 metres at the closest point—he was unable to travel there without getting a full Schengen visa, an increasingly difficult process for Turks. Since April, however, the doors of ten Greek islands, including Samos, have been flung open with a special “gate” visa that lets Turks stay for seven days. Mr Albayrak is one of tens of thousands who have taken advantage.
Explore more
This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “Send in the Turks”
From the July 6th 2024 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from Europe
Russia’s bloody summer offensive is hurting Ukraine
Kremlin troops are making gains in the Donbas region
How much of a difference will Ukraine’s new F-16s make?
Too few to beat Russia’s air force, but a strong symbolic start
Some Germans think the hostage exchange with Russia was a dirty deal
But preserving good relations with America was more important
The deal that freed Evan Gershkovich was more than a prisoner swap
It freed Russian prisoners of conscience as well as Westerners taken hostage by Vladimir Putin
The Olympics are teaching the French to cheer again
France’s politics is a mess, but the games are glorious
Humiliated by Azerbaijan, Armenia tacks towards the West
Courting the EU and America without alienating Russia is a difficult trick