Expatriates praise Türkiye border measures as returns continue
Turks living abroad are praising measures at Türkiye's border gates as they return to European countries after spending their annual holidays in the country.
Additional lanes and reinforced staffing are helping speed up exit procedures as thousands of expatriates begin their journeys home, with travelers reporting smooth and efficient crossings despite increased traffic.
Osman Orak, who was returning to Germany, said he had enjoyed his holiday in Türkiye and praised the country's border services.
Orak said Turkish border gates offer better service than those in Europe, adding that authorities take steps to facilitate crossings when needed.
Travelers leave with mixed emotions
Ramazan Korkmaz, who was heading back to Belgium, said expatriates arrived in Türkiye with happiness but were now leaving with sadness.
"Now everyone is returning, so the congestion is normal. There are no problems during the crossing," Korkmaz said, adding that border procedures were moving quickly.
Tuncay Koyuncu, who was returning to France, also expressed sadness at leaving his homeland while praising the speed of the procedures and the services provided at the border.
More than 1.7 million passengers leave Türkiye
Between June 22, the start of the expatriate travel season, and Aug. 24, a total of 2,065,799 passengers entered Türkiye through the Kapıkule, Hamzabeyli, Ipsala, Pazarkule and Dereköy border gates in the Thrace region.
During the same period, 1,759,167 passengers exited through the five crossings.
Vehicle traffic also remained high, with 525,960 passenger cars entering Türkiye and 439,032 leaving the country.
Kapıkule, the main crossing used by Turks living abroad, recorded the highest traffic, with 1,146,894 passenger entries and 814,152 exits.
Ipsala followed with 368,751 passenger exits, ahead of Hamzabeyli with 260,860, Dereköy with 167,152 and Pazarkule with 148,252.
Return traffic expected to continue
Despite the heavy seasonal movement, total passenger entries and exits were 3% lower than during the same period last year, while passenger car entries and exits declined by 2%.
The return journeys of Turks living abroad are expected to continue through the first week of September as the annual holiday season draws to a close.
Source: AA
