Istanbul-Dushanbe-Istanbul flights are flying (semi)empty

Recently, flights from Dushanbe airport to Istanbul have been departing half-empty, although just a week ago this route was considered one of the busiest, reports Radio Ozodi.

Before the introduction of the visa regime, the Istanbul-Dushanbe-Istanbul flight was the most in demand. However, after Turkey implemented a visa regime for Tajik citizens, the number of passengers has noticeably decreased. One airport security staff member mentioned in a private conversation that since April 20, half-empty planes have been arriving from Turkey, with passengers mainly being Tajik businessmen and citizens who flew to Turkey before April 20. According to the source, a similar situation is observed on flights from Dushanbe to Istanbul.

Radio Ozodi journalists visited Dushanbe airport on the night of April 25. The Dushanbe-Istanbul flight operated by Turkish Airlines departed at 03:10. More than two hours before departure, among the few passengers, there was no one who had obtained a Turkish visa. These were mainly “transit passengers” flying to third countries via Istanbul. Tajik airlines declined to comment on the reasons for the decrease in passenger numbers and recommended sending an official inquiry.

In early April, Ankara announced the introduction of a visa regime for Tajik citizens but did not explain the reasons for this decision. In response, Dushanbe also introduced a visa regime for Turkish citizens. Travel companies are offering tours to Turkey for those citizens who managed to obtain a visa. A representative of one travel company, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated: “Although the visa regime was introduced on April 20, the Turkish embassy only started accepting visa applications on April 22. None of our clients have received a visa yet. Currently, companies are not involved in obtaining visas. Citizens must apply for a visa themselves, as personal presence is required for the application. We can only offer a tour package.”

The Turkish embassy in Dushanbe published instructions stating that citizens must submit visa documents one month before the intended trip. Among the required documents are:

• medical insurance
• salary certificate
• employment certificate
• criminal record certificate translated into Turkish
• bank statement
• hotel and flight bookings.

The type and number of documents vary depending on the type of visa – tourist, business, or work. According to the rules, the Turkish embassy has the right to announce its decision on the issuance or refusal of a visa within 90 days. Some social media users have expressed concern about the long processing time for visa applications at the Turkish embassy. Facebook user Sehrangez wrote that “she submitted all the necessary documents, but every day they only make promises, they are not serious about their work.”

Karim, a citizen of Turkey, says that there are no particular problems with obtaining a visa for either side: “People are worried about visas, but both Turks and Tajiks can easily get a visa. Everything is done in two to three days. My family is arriving from Turkey soon, and they had no problems getting a visa at the Tajikistan embassy.”

The cost of a single-entry Turkish visa is $60, while a multiple-entry visa costs $190. The reasons for the introduction of the visa regime for Tajik citizens have not been specified, but many associate it with the terrorist attacks in Russia and Turkey, where Tajik citizens are among the suspects. Ankara stated that two suspects, who are citizens of Tajikistan, flew from Istanbul to Moscow after a short stay in Turkey following the attack at the “Krokus” concert hall on March 22, which resulted in the deaths of over 140 people.

Since 2018, citizens of Tajikistan, like citizens of dozens of other countries, have been able to enter Turkey without a visa and stay there for up to 90 days. Tajikistan is connected to Turkey by direct flights operated by Turkish Airlines and the domestic airline “Somon Air.” Istanbul is an important transit point for international departures for citizens of Tajikistan.