ETIAS to not apply to some Turkish passport holders

Turkey's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that holders of Turkish service and special passports do not need approval from the European Union to travel to Schengen Zone countries.

Some media outlets have been reporting that holders of service and special passports will require electronic pre-approval within the framework of ETIAS before entering the Schengen area.

But Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said adoption of the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS), which was accepted in 2018 and will be implemented by 2022, will not be applied to Turkish citizens who have the right to enter the Schengen area without a visa and with their special and service passports as a result of initiatives the Foreign Ministry made with EU authorities.

"As a result of the initiatives made with the EU Commission, it has been confirmed once again that the ETIAS system will not be applied to citizens who are service and special passport holders," the statement added.