The Moroccan government has asked Turkey to impose a visa requirement on all Moroccan citizens who wish to enter Turkish lands.
The reason according to Moroccan daily Akhbar Al Youm is “to limit and/or stop Moroccans from joining ISIS, as hundreds of Moroccan militants of ISIS reached Syria and Irak via Turkey.”
As a matter of fact, according to a report published by CNN earlier this month, an estimated 1500 Moroccans joined terrorist groups in Syria and Iraq.
Akhbar Al Youm added that Turkey is not enthusiastic about the request made by the Moroccan government, especially that Morocco and Turkey have very strong political and economic relations.
Also it is reported that an estimated 100000 Moroccans visit Turkey each year, which has a positive impact on the economic and the touristic sector in Turkey. This said, imposing a visa would significantly decrease the number of Moroccan tourists who opt for Turkey mainly due to the easiness of paperwork, as the one only needs a valid passport and an airplane ticket to enter the Turkish lands. Accordingly, if the Moroccan demand is accepted, this will have a negative impact on Turkey’s tourism sector.
The Moroccan Times.
