Turkish team forced to field injured player after visa denial

The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a diplomatic note to the United Kingdom following a visa issue that significantly impacted the Bursa Uludag Women’s Basketball Team.

The team faced off against the London Lions in the FIBA Women’s EuroCup play-off round with only five players, one of whom was injured.

Game marred by visa troubles

On Dec. 21, 2023, the Bursa Uludag Women’s Basketball Team played an unprecedented match against the London Lions. Due to visa complications, the team could only send five players, including one injured, to the away game.

The incident resulted in a lopsided defeat, with the team losing 122-63. This rare occurrence in basketball history has prompted a series of reactions and an official inquiry.

“Despite all the difficulties we faced in the challenging away game, we thank our amazing fans who made up for the lack of our team on the field. We appreciate everyone who supported our team in England. We are a big family,” the team said on its social media account.

Parliamentary investigation

CHP Ankara MP Deniz Demir submitted a parliamentary question to Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan regarding the incident. Demir highlighted the severe impact on the team’s performance and Türkiye’s international image, questioning the reasons behind the visa denials.

Foreign Minister Fidan’s response

In his response, Fidan provided a detailed timeline of the visa application process. The team completed their visa applications on Dec. 13, 2023, with the applications entering the British visa system on Dec. 14. Despite multiple appeals from the Turkish Foreign Ministry to the British Consulate in Istanbul for expedited processing, no positive response was received.

The British consulate staff explained that they could not expedite the process beyond the standard 15 working days, as required by British immigration laws.

Fidan also mentioned that the Turkish Embassy in London has formally conveyed its displeasure through a diplomatic note, urging the U.K. to prevent similar issues in the future.

Visa problem persists

This visa problem is not an isolated case. Many professionals in Türkiye’s arts and culture sector face similar challenges due to the EU and U.K.’s strict visa policies. These policies are in stark contrast to the EU Parliament’s commitment to strengthen the resilience of civil society in Türkiye. Harsh visa restrictions hinder every Turk and exacerbate the difficulties they face. In addition to the problems and rejections, Turkish citizens spend large sums of money each year on Schengen visa applications.