Turkey's Justice Ministry said on Tuesday it had cancelled a planned study visit to the United States due to the widening diplomatic row between the countries over the issuing of visas.  Local media earlier reported that U.S. authorities had rejected visa requests from members of the delegation, but the Justice Ministry said it had taken the initiative and cancelled the trip.  "Due to the recent visa crisis between the two countries, the visit was cancelled by our Ministry," it said in a statement, adding that there were no visa applications to be rejected. The delegation had planned a study visit to the United States, at the invitation of U.S. authorities, between Oct. 29 and Nov. 4, the ministry said. The pro-government Daily Sabah newspaper said the delegation had planned to study the U.S. penal system and visit American prisons.

By ADAM SCHUPAKOCT - New York Times- The Turkish Golf Federation president, Ahmet Agaoglu, likes to tell the story of the time Tiger Woods straddled two continents and struck golf’s first intercontinental shot from Asia to Europe. “To play a role in it was the greatest achievement of my life,” Agaoglu said. On Nov. 5, 2013, Woods stopped traffic on the Bosporus Bridge, which spans 5,118 feet and is 210 feet above the Bosporus. Well, at least half of it was closed as Woods stepped to a circular, platform AstroTurf tee. Cars and buses whizzed by in the three lanes on the opposite side of the bridge, renamed the July 15 Martyrs Bridge in 2016, into Europe as Woods, in his trademark Sunday red golf polo, blasted drives from Istanbul in western Asia into the southeastern corner of Europe on a windy afternoon.

ANTALYA, Turkey (Reuters) - Early reservations point to a 15-20 percent rise in the number of German tourists visiting Turkey next year, Michael Frenzel, president of the federal association of Germany’s tourism sector told Reuters. German visitors to Turkey fell sharply last year, mainly due to security concerns following a series of militant attacks and a failed military coup and as growing tension between Berlin and Ankara caused deep strains in diplomatic ties.

Since the failed coup of July 2016, Turkey has requested the extradition of 81 people from Germany, according to the Justice Ministry's response to an inquiry from the Left Party's parliamentary party. The Justice Ministry, however, did not provide information on how many of those requests were based on terrorism charges or whether Berlin complied with the requests. Turkey has accused Germany of harboring thousands of suspects allegedly involved in a failed coup on July 15, 2016 that left more than 200 people dead, including soldiers and civilians.