The extension of one year of the visas program for Turkish nationals wishing to visit 12 islands in the Aegean Sea is commented on Friday by the Reuters agency.

Since the start of the program in March 2024, they have been issued More than 100,000 Express Vises For Turkish nationals for the islands of Rhodes, Kos, Samos, Lesvos, Chios, Leros, Symi, Lemnos, Kalymnos and Kastelorizo.

The duration of the visa will be seven days, and will be granted at the points of entry to the ports of the islands.

Following approval by the European Commission, the tourist visa regime will be extended by April 2026, diplomatic sources on Thursday night said, adding that an initial list of 10 islands will be expanded to include the islands. Patmos and Samothrace.

The Commission welcomed the successful implementation of the program in the past year and recognized its positive contribution to promoting connections between the two peoples, sources said.

The agreement allows the Turks and their families to visit certain Greek islands without having to apply For the Schengen zone, It was signed in December 2023, when Greece and Turkey agreed to turn a page after years of tensions and drafted a roadmap to inaugurate a new era of closer ties.

“Greece and Turkey, and both NATO members but historical enemies, have been opposed for decades over jurisdiction in their maritime zones in the Aegean Sea, airspace and ethnically divided Cyprus” He emphasizes Reuters.

The Eastern Aegean islands are the only exception in the Schengen area for Turkish citizens.