Italian experts have stated that the situation of Turkish students who, despite being accepted into universities in Italy, have been unable to obtain visas and thus cannot travel to the country must be seriously addressed.
The aftermath of last week's press release made by students and their families, who were accepted into various programs at Italian universities but couldn't travel due to visa issues, continues to resonate. The protest was held in front of the Italian Consulate General in Istanbul, where frustration with the situation was expressed.
The Italy-Türkiye Friendship Association members supported the protest by displaying a banner at the Ca' Foscari University in Venice, which read "Welcome Turkish students."
The banner was displayed by Vera Costantini, the president of the Italy-Türkiye Friendship Association and also a faculty member at the Department of History at Ca' Foscari University in Venice, along with retired Ambassador Carlo Marsili, who served as Italy’s ambassador to Ankara from 2004 to 2010. Both individuals shared their thoughts with the correspondent of Anadolu Agency (AA) on the hardships faced by Turkish students.
Costantini explained that Italian universities place great importance on international relations and the acceptance of foreign students, as universities in Italy gain points in the education system with each international student they accept. This boosts their funding from the Italian government.
She also pointed out that despite Turkish students being accepted into universities, obtaining a visa remains a major obstacle; this issue persists, causing students to lose both flight and sometimes tuition fees, as they cannot come to Italy.
She highlighted a contradiction: while Italian universities encourage the arrival of foreign students, the visa process, handled by a private company assigned by the Italian government, creates barriers.
"Both the Italian Consulate in Istanbul and this private company need to clarify the situation, as they must work together to solve the problem," Costantini emphasized.
She also stated that Italy needs these students: "Because these are really good young people, exactly the kind of youth we need in Italy; let them come, study at our universities, and contribute to the workforce in Italy. As I said, we need this kind of youth."
Asked about the banner displayed by Turkish students in support of the protest, the Italian academic replied: "They are members of the Italy-Türkiye Friendship Association; a few years ago, the Italy-Türkiye Association was established in Venice. Its members are a mix of Italians and Turks, of course. Not only university students but also people from all social classes are involved; the initiative for the banner came from this association."
Costantini continued, "The banner says 'Welcome Turkish students.' We spoke among ourselves after the protest last week; some said, 'We lost our lecturer.' We have no Turkish language lecturer at Italian universities due to visa problems. This is not just an issue for Turks but also for Italians. It's a completely illogical policy and strategy at every level. I expect an explanation. I think it was done carelessly, unintentionally. I can't believe it happened any other way. I’m sure there was a mistake; we decided to show solidarity with the students in Türkiye."
The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a written response to AA's inquiries regarding the visa issue faced by Turkish students and the press statement held last week at the Italian Consulate General in Istanbul.
The statement included the following:
"Before the protest on Nov. 14, Consul General Elena Clemente met with a representative of the applicants who were protesting in front of the Consulate General in Istanbul. During the meeting, the students were reassured that the Consulate General was working to its full capacity to process the remaining applications and any additional documents as quickly as possible. The representative was informed that additional documents requested from some students were to complete missing paperwork and facilitate the visa issuance."
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that it is fully aware of the positive contribution Turkish students make to the Italian university system. The statement reaffirmed the efforts of the consulate in addressing visa requests and reminded that, in comparison to approximately 2,600 applications last year, 3,000 education visa applications have already been processed in five months this year.