The U.S. Embassy in Turkey is processing visas again on a 'limited basis'

The U.S. Embassy in Ankara, Turkey, announced Monday that it had partially resumed processing Turkish visa applications, Reuters reports. The U.S. had suspended nonimmigrant visa services in early October after the Turkish government arrested a U.S. consulate employee.

The employee, Metin Topuz, was suspected of having ties with Fethullah Gulen, a Pennsylvania-based cleric whom the Turkish government blames for last summer's failed coup. The day after the U.S. suspended the services in Turkey, the Turkish government responded in kind, suspending visa services for Americans and releasing a statement that mirrored the U.S's.

The resumption of visa services comes one day before Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim is set to meet with Vice President Mike Pence in Washington. An embassy statement released Monday said that the Turkish government assured the U.S. that it would be informed in the future if Turkish officials planned to arrest local staff. Reuters reports that Turkey may too resume visa application processing soon.

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Topuz was the second local staff member at a U.S. mission in Turkey to be detained over suspicion of Gulenist connections. The U.S.'s reluctance to extradite Gulen to Turkey has angered their government and has put a strain on ties between the two nations.