Turks frustrated by 'deliberate' increase in number of European visa rejections

Sinem Okten, a Turkish TV sports presenter, holds her passport during an interview with Reuters in Istanbul, Turkey August 24, 2022. REUTERS/Murad Sezer

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish sports presenter Sinem Okten was surprised to see her visa application to Europe's Schengen area rejected twice, having visited often to cover matches and interview figures like Italian keeper Gianluigi Buffon and Liverpool's Juergen Klopp.

"I applied first to Germany then to France. Both rejected my application," she said. "I've travelled abroad numerous times to follow and film matches and interview people, maybe 50-60 times. This is the first time I am having this problem."