India to sign visa-free travel pact with Turkey

Members of diplomatic missions, consulates of the countries as well as their spouses and children would be granted residence visas valid for the duration of assignment.

Either country can temporarily suspend a part or the whole of the agreement on grounds of national security or public order.

The cabinet also approved the proposal for ratification of the Agreement after it had been signed, an official spokesman told reporters after a meeting of the Union Cabinet.

The Agreement between the two countries is proposed to be signed during the forthcoming visit of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to Turkey from September 16.

The Agreement comes into force within 30 days after the date of exchange of notification approval.