On November 10, in Istanbul, the patrol service detained Turkmenistan citizen M. for using a fake driver’s license. 37-year-old M. informed his friends by phone about the arrest while driving a motorcycle.

On one of the streets of Istanbul, the police stopped him and, when checking his documents, discovered that his driver’s license was fake. The migrant received these rights from a specialized agency located in Istanbul, whose address he provided to the police.

In essence, the function of issuing Turkmen documents should be performed by the consular service, but in practice, Turkmen officials prefer illegal schemes for conducting business. See, for example, message dated 11/10/2022

The young man was taken to the police station; according to the lawyer, he will remain in the station at least until November 14. In the future, he will have to answer according to local laws.

Attention to Turkmen migrants: by contacting dubious agencies, you encourage their illegal activities and expose yourself to the danger of a collision with Turkish law. Demand that consular officers perform their duties accordingly.

Turkmen Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights