Attention Turkish Cypriots Flying to UK via Istanbul

Traveller0392


Joined: 21/03/2008
Posts: 186

Message Posted:
14/12/2010 02:28

... the authorities have finally gone and done it ... If you are travelling on a ROC (Republic of Cyprus) passport from Ercan via Sabia Gochen and then onto the UK ... you may have problems with 'Turkish Airlines'. (Anadolu jet)



A couple of people who were travelling on Saturday 12th December were messed around by the attitude of the check in/transit staff there. I guess they want all citizens of NCyprus travelling to now use a Turkish passport .... beggars belief ... but I can see how they are playing this one ... At the end of the day people will no longer use the over priced airport and possibly travel via the cheaper more direct route of Larnaca. If Turkish Airlines reads this... sorry guys, you have lost one customer and possibly a few hundred more over the coming months. Perhaps you need a lesson in PR. Attitude of the customs police really does make you think whose side are these guys on. Will not use this route anymore and as for Sabia Gochen .. .. enough said. :(

ianwfs


Joined: 08/01/2008
Posts: 563

Message Posted:
14/12/2010 12:06

I'm a little confused here. Surely a TRNC passport is not recognised as a valid travel document (apart from Turkey and a couple of other countries). So if you are in transit to a third country, Turkish Airlines have a legal obligation to ensure that the document you're using is recognised by the country of arrival. If your paperwork is incorrect, THY will be fined and charged the costs of deporting you back to whence you came.

And remember, you must leave the country with the same document you arrived with. So you can't for example arrive on the TRNC passport, but leave with a UK (or Turkish, or RoC, or any other) passport.

ianwfs


Joined: 08/01/2008
Posts: 563

Message Posted:
14/12/2010 12:07

Just noticed you say this will force people to use Larnaca. Of course the TRNC passport is readily accepted there without any problems, isn't it!

Panchocat


Joined: 29/11/2009
Posts: 1333

Message Posted:
14/12/2010 13:54

ianwfs the original post says a R.O.C. passport not a T.R.N.C. one.

elko2



Joined: 24/07/2007
Posts: 4400

Message Posted:
14/12/2010 14:06

msg.1

Traveller wrote: "A couple of people who were travelling on Saturday 12th December were messed around by the attitude of the check in/transit staff there. I guess they want ...."



I would have preferred to read about their attitude, what they exactly did in order to form my own opinion rather than rely on your opinion of what they are trying to achieve. Am I being fussy?

ismet

Brinsley


Joined: 04/04/2009
Posts: 6858

Message Posted:
14/12/2010 17:07

Turkish immigration were all over the place about my onward journey to the UK in transit when changing planes at Istanbul traveling on a NZ passport last Saturday. Idiots!



Richard

ianwfs


Joined: 08/01/2008
Posts: 563

Message Posted:
14/12/2010 17:08

Msg 4. Oops. Sorry. Must take more water with it!

ImnEr


Joined: 11/05/2010
Posts: 76

Message Posted:
14/12/2010 19:29

We were on the 7.15 am flight on Anadolujet into Istanbul on Saturday morning. Everyone was messed about as on arrival the transit desk was empty. We got a lot of shrugs and no one seemed to care what was going on, we could hear our flight for Stansted being called and we were stuck in transit with no one doing anything. Eventually someone came and grudgingly started to process about 14 people. This was about 20 mins before the plane was due to leave. Some people who had prebooked seats didn't get their seats,we were actually fine. The plane eventually took off about 25 mins late. Apparently the reason being that due to bad weather in TRNC there was no internet so they didn't know we were coming!! What did they do before the internet- send a pigeon. I thought this plane went every day- but hey -ho who am I to know

ImnEr


Joined: 11/05/2010
Posts: 76

Message Posted:
14/12/2010 19:32

We were on the 7.15 am flight on Anadolujet into Istanbul on Saturday morning. Everyone was messed about as on arrival the transit desk was empty. We got a lot of shrugs and no one seemed to care what was going on, we could hear our flight for Stansted being called and we were stuck in transit with no one doing anything. Eventually someone came and grudgingly started to process about 14 people. This was about 20 mins before the plane was due to leave. Some people who had prebooked seats didn't get their seats,we were actually fine. The plane eventually took off about 25 mins late. Apparently the reason being that due to bad weather in TRNC there was no internet so they didn't know we were coming!! What did they do before the internet- send a pigeon. I thought this plane went every day- but hey -ho who am I to know

Traveller0392


Joined: 21/03/2008
Posts: 186

Message Posted:
15/12/2010 11:36

Re Mess: 5 ... absolutely true Ismet ... a little ambiguos of me ...



If you remember last Saturday morning, they had an incredible storm and there was no electric at Ercan.. therefore the boarding card was hand-written ... and my wife was told to get it from Istanbul, Sabia Gochen. Here is where the problem started. Having arrived in Istanbul, the check-in guy was in no rush to solve the problem and with less than an hour to get through the gate onto the plane, couldn't give an answer that would solve the problem. As someone who (my wife) travels extensively and understands the 'system'.... if this (check in attitude) was allowed to go on, the gate would have closed... as I said, my wife managed to get on the plane 10 mins beore take-off, which incidently was 25 minutes delayed.

Therefore, my original point is aimed at the fact that ..'if you are TC, ie from KKTC with a ROC passport... and are going via SG (Istanbul), be prepared to encounter this situation.



I would be intere

Geoff


Joined: 25/06/2008
Posts: 1370

Message Posted:
15/12/2010 12:05

I was told at Larnaca that a person with a TRNC passport can exit the country for another EU Member State (such as UK), but only if they have a valid visa for the destination country. ROC passport holders do not, of course, require a visa.

Geoff

Traveller0392


Joined: 21/03/2008
Posts: 186

Message Posted:
15/12/2010 15:11

Hi Geoff re: message 11. ..



took me a second there to get your meaning, but yes ... and if you went via Larnaca as a KKTC citizen .. to the UK .. there is no problem ... "why should there be?" ...



However , this is the real issue, "if you are going via Istanbul, as a KKTC citizen, with a ROC passport .....BEWARE" ...... You will ... have problems with transit .... on ... Turkish airlines (Anadolu Jet).... ... to whom I have asked an explanation as to their apparent lack of customer service ..... awaiting reply ... updates to follow. ps Don't hold ones breath.



I would add that this is more about politics than mere administration .... we await the outcome.