A Turkish MP praises the restoration of the visa regime with Tajikistan and warns of the danger of “those with a mysterious past”

Turkish MP Mahir Polat welcomed the decision of his country's authorities to cancel visa-free entry to Turkey for citizens of Tajikistan, and linked this decision to a potential threat from those he described as "those with a suspicious past."

Polat previously called for doing so after the terrorist attack that targeted the Crocus Center on the outskirts of Moscow, pointing out the presence of many Tajik citizens with a “mysterious” past in central Istanbul.

Yesterday evening, Turkey canceled the visa exemption system for citizens of Tajikistan who enter Turkey using a general passport, without mentioning the reasons for the decision, “From now on, citizens of Tajikistan must obtain a visa from diplomatic missions before traveling.”

Polat, a representative of the opposition Republican People's Party, repeatedly pointed out the presence of many Tajik citizens with "suspicious backgrounds" in the Fatih district of central Istanbul.

Polat was a candidate for the position of governor of Fatih in the municipal elections that took place on March 31, but he came in second place according to the preliminary results.

Polat wrote on the “X” platform: “We have obtained the result of our efforts that began in the elections regarding the issue of citizens of Tajikistan. One of the most important problems of the Conqueror and perhaps Turkey is the settlement of the region by people with a mysterious and suspicious past, and citizens of Tajikistan in the first place.”

Polat said that he endured a lot of those who criticized his position, and added: “My concern was my country and the citizens, and I told them of the great threat. Now my conscience is clear.”

Polat raised a number of questions about "whether the exact number of those who arrived in Istanbul without a visa is known, and whether the authorities know in detail their background and the potential threat they pose."

"Will the authorities check those who have already arrived without a visa? And if they are not a threat, why was the visa exemption system cancelled? Can Fatih and Istanbul be considered safe in general," he said, considering the fact that thousands of people arrived in the city in this way (without a visa). )?

Turkish media reported earlier that two of the perpetrators of the "Crocus" terrorist attack visited Istanbul from January to March and stayed in hotels there, but it is still not known what they did days before departure.

The Turkish newspaper "Hurriyet" wrote that security forces in Istanbul monitored and detained two alleged members of the "ISIS" organization, who were planning a terrorist attack in Turkey, and that the attack plan was "at an advanced stage." The newspaper report stated that the suspects were a Tajik citizen (37 years old) and a Kyrgyz citizen (41 years old) who were later deported from Turkey.