Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis referred to the agreement to grant visas to Turkish citizens, in order to facilitate their visits to the Greek islands, after the meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Kalymnos, Lemnos, Kos, Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Leros, Rhodes, Symi and Kastelorizo, are the 10 islands of the Eastern Aegean that Turkish citizens will be able to visit, as part of the implementation of the agreement on the fast-track visa and signatory Greece- Turkey.

During his speech at the joint press conference granted by Kyriakos Mitsotakis with Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Greek Prime Minister stated that Greece “requested and secured the approval of the European Commission so as to activate the possibility of Turkish citizens and their families to they visit ten of our islands all year round for seven days which either have refugee structures or have direct ferry connections with Turkey”.

He spoke about an initiative with a strong message that also states a great truth “that the Greek islands are a bridge of friendship and communication between the two peoples.

Earlier today the Minister of Immigration, Dimitris Kairides in the First Program 91.6 and 105.8 he stated that “it is a measure that brings the two peoples together. It is something that our citizens want very much, who have borne such a great burden in the management of immigration” pointed out the Minister of Immigration, speaking to the First Program 91.6 and 105.8, adding that this is an agreement made with the European Commission.

“Greece is a Schengen country and requests a “derogation” from Schengen, so that Turkish citizens can more easily visit the islands of the eastern Aegean. Thanks to the very good cooperation we have with the European Commission after the problems we had faced, due to Pylos (…), the line was to face them and deepen this cooperation, which is also expressed with more European staff here at Frontex, the European Asylum Service (…) and with additional funding and of course with the visa issue. Let me remind you that the islands of the eastern Aegean will be the only exception in the Schengen zone, there is no such facility anywhere else. It is something that the Turks want very much, of course, and our islanders want it very much,” said Mr. Kairidis.

This facility will not only be for the summer season, it will be for the whole year for the first time, the Minister noted.

“It concerns islands that do not have the tourism of Rhodes. And Rhodes will be included, but islands that don’t have charters, that don’t have international flights, that only have a little family tourism in August, like Lesvos for example, have a lot to benefit from” pointed out Mr. Kairidis , naming the islands covered by the agreement. As he said, these are Limnos, Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Leros, Kalymnos, Kos, Rhodes, Symi and Kastellorizo.

Greece has assured the proper implementation of the measure by the Greek Police, because, as he explained, visas will again be given, checks will again be made, it will just be done on the spot in the Greek islands.