Turkey speeds up border processing for returning expatriates

AK Party deputy chairman and foreign affairs chief Zafer Sırakaya said the government has cut waiting times at Turkey’s western border gates and made travel more comfortable for citizens living abroad. During the summer “expatriate season” from 22 June to 3 August, about 2.5 million people and 632 000 vehicles used the Kapıkule, Hamzabeyli, Pazarkule, İpsala and Dereköy crossings, with Kapıkule alone handling roughly 1.33 million passengers. On the day of the remarks, around 4 300 vehicles left through Kapıkule. Sırakaya highlighted that a vehicle now spends a total of 29 minutes in the customs area, down from several hours in the past, thanks to staff reinforcements, physical upgrades and modernisation of the facilities. He stressed that the return of the estimated 7.5 million Turkish expatriates is not merely tourism but a sign of continued ties between the diaspora and the homeland.