,Just hours before the New Year, Türkiye announced that as of 2 January 2026, citizens of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) will be granted visa-free entry for up to 90 days within any 180-day period. According to the decision published in the Official Gazette on 31 December, bearing the signature of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, holders of passports of the PRC will be allowed to travel to Türkiye for touristic purposes and transit with a maximum stay of 90 days within every 180-day period, effective from 2 January 2026.
The decision, which coincides with the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Türkiye and the People’s Republic of China, has been interpreted as a positive development for bilateral relations. In addition, the visa exemption is expected to encourage an increase in the number of Chinese tourists visiting Türkiye. Chinese tourists often refer to Türkiye as a “romantic country” or “romantic Türkiye,” and show strong interest in destinations such as Cappadocia, Pamukkale, Ephesus, and Istanbul. The song “I Want to Take You to Romantic Türkiye” by Chinese singer Xiao Zhang is widely known across China, and hot air balloons are among the first images that come to mind when Türkiye is mentioned.
Following the decision, China’s Ambassador to Ankara, Jiang Xuebin, stated on his social media account on X:
”We warmly welcome Türkiye’s decision to grant visa-free entry to Chinese citizens, a wonderful gift as we celebrate the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Türkiye! I’m sure this important step will further promote people-to-people exchanges and deepen the time-honored friendship between our two countries
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