Lesvos, Greece - Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis welcomed 92 Turkish tourists arriving on the passenger ship "Esref Jale" to the island of Lesvos on Friday. Among them was the ship's captain, Ali Jale, who is also the deputy mayor of the Turkish coastal city of Ayvalik, on the opposite shore.
Mitsotakis was briefed on the implementation of the express visa process and learned that it was issued more quickly for the 20 Turkish passengers on the ship who chose to obtain their visas in Mytilene (the capital of Lesvos) rather than in Turkey.
"This is a very positive development," Mitsotakis said. "It shows that the express visa process is working smoothly and that it is making it easier for Turkish citizens to visit Greece."
Later, Mitsotakis visited the Mytilene town hall to meet with Mayor Panagiotis Christofas. They discussed ways to further promote tourism and cooperation between Greece and Turkey.
The express visa process allows Turkish citizens to obtain a visa to visit Greece within 24 hours of applying. This is a significant improvement over the previous process, which could take up to 15 days. The aim of the express visa is to facilitate tourism and business travel between Greece and Turkey.
Mitsotakis' visit to Lesvos and his meeting with Turkish officials are seen as a sign of warming relations between the two countries. In recent months, Greece and Turkey have been working to resolve a number of long-standing disputes, including the issue of maritime boundaries in the Aegean Sea.
The arrival of the Turkish tourists on Lesvos is also a boost for the local economy. Tourism is a major industry on the island, and the influx of Turkish visitors is expected to provide a much-needed boost to businesses.
