Turkish tourists flock to Lesvos
Turkish tourists are flocking to Lesvos on the occasion of the seker bayrami holiday in Turkey, with more than 1,700 visitors arriving on five ships from Ayvali on the opposite coast on Thursday.
The visitors were welcomed at the port of Mytilene with ouzo, sweets and hats by representatives from the local municipality and other agencies.
More than 6,000 Turkish tourists are expected to visit the island during the seker bayrami holiday, which this year runs from April 6 to 14.
Most of the tourists come from Istanbul, Izmir and other big Turkish cities.
Lesvos launched fast-track visas for Turkish tourists on April 1 following an agreement between Athens and Ankara, approved by the EU, to revive a previous scheme the special Schengen Express Visa program for Turkish citizens wishing to visit certain eastern Aegean islands.
Turkish citizens can now apply for a seven-day tourist visa for 10 Greek islands close to the Turkish coast, including Limnos, Chios, Samos, Leros, Kalymnos, Kos, Rhodes, Symi and Kastellorizo.
