The obligation of holidaymakers to pay €15 for visa upon their arrival in Turkey has been cancelled with immediate effect. This news was announced by Turkish President Abdullah Gul after a meeting with Slovak President Ivan Gašparovič. “The Turkish President together with President of the Slovak Republic on the eleventh hour of the Government's proposal signed the abolition of visa requirements for Slovaks," said the presidential spokesperson Marek Trubač.
The visa waiver has been a topic of discussion for some time, with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico raising the issue in February at a meeting of the prime ministers and, and again at the beginning of June at a personal meeting with the Turkish Prime Minister. Until now, a tourist visa for a stay of up to 30 days could be purchased at Turkish borders for €15. Turkey expects the visa waiver to attract more Slovak tourists, even though in the last year Turkey has become a number one destination for Slovak holiday makers. According to the Slovak Statistics Office more than 90 thousand Slovaks travelled to Turkey last year. The situation in Egypt has also played in Turkey’s favour with several Slovaks changing their travel itineraries to include Turkey and the Greek Islands.
