Struggles of Turkish Students Over Visa Issues: The European Journey's Hurdles for Turkish Pupils

In the heart of Winter 2025, investigative reporting by Turkey Today uncovered a troubling issue: Turkish students, including an aspiring journalist, faced lengthy waiting periods and unanswered calls and emails, culminating in visa refusals. The individual, who had received an admission letter from Rome Business School's Master's program in International Media and Entertainment Management in June 2024, was among those affected.

The visa application, submitted at the Italian Consulate in Istanbul in August 2024, was initially refused in October, citing "risk of asylum." This refusal was not without controversy, as the court underlined that suspicion alone could never serve as grounds for refusal; only clear and substantive evidence could.

The rejection letters, it was revealed, were marred by errors. Investigative reporting uncovered misspelled students' names, incorrect listings of universities or departments, and other inaccuracies.

In response, the students and their families delivered a press statement and left a black wreath outside the Italian Consulate in Istanbul in October 2024. The issue received widespread media coverage, with reports appearing on 186 different websites, 516 media outlets, 20 YouTube videos, and 126 posts on LinkedIn.

The crisis continued into early 2025, with around 30 to 50 new refusals being issued each day, causing most students to be unable to enroll and effectively losing their academic year. In January and February 2025, students announced they would sue the Consulate General of Italy in Istanbul.

In a significant turn of events, in March 2025, Rome's Lazio Regional Administrative Court issued a precedent-setting decision, ordering visas to be granted directly or requiring consulates to review applications within five days. This ruling paved the way for around twenty students to win their cases, setting a legal precedent with implications far beyond their own files.

The crisis exposed the broader structure of the Schengen visa system. In a bid to address these concerns, the European Union announced the adoption of a new set of more favorable Schengen visa rules for Turkish citizens, known as the "cascade rule," in July 2025.

Italian Deputy Foreign Minister Maria Tripodi announced in March 2025 that student visa applications from Turkey had risen by 36.6% compared with the previous year. Italian Consul Irene Pastorino completed her term in Turkey in Summer 2025, and her successor, Roberta Cotanzo, was appointed. The Italian Embassy's official channels confirmed the appointment.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani reported on Nov. 19, 2024, that there is no obstacle for Turkish students to come and study in Italy. The issue was brought before Parliament by the Italian-Turkish Friendship Association and a member of Italy's Chamber of Deputies.

Despite these developments, the individual, who initially applied at the Italian Consulate in Istanbul, faced another refusal when they applied through the Italian Embassy in Ankara in January 2025. As of now, no information is available about the person who will take over the position of the Italian ambassador to Turkey from September 2025.

The saga of the Turkish students' struggle for visas serves as a testament to the power of persistence and the importance of holding institutions accountable. The legal precedents set and the changes in visa policies offer hope for future applicants and a reminder of the need for transparency and fairness in the visa application process.

Struggles of Turkish Students Over Visa Issues: The European Journey's Hurdles for Turkish Pupils