Tourism Deputy: We Have Received Reports of Mistreatment of Iranian Travelers at the Turkish Border

The Deputy of Iran's Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization announced after the release of a video showing the beating of Iranian travelers at the 'Gurbulagh' land border with Turkey that these 'mistreatments' have a history and that 'serious' reports regarding them have been submitted to this organization. According to ISNA news agency, Morteza Rahmani Moqaddam stated that the Bazargan border on the Iranian side and 'Gurbulagh' on the Turkish side are the busiest land borders between the two countries. Mr. Moqaddam mentioned that the 'heaviest' reports of mistreatment of Iranian travelers 'are related to this border, and no such reports have been received from other borders.' He added that Iran's representatives at the Bazargan border report these incidents to the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization by phone, and Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has officially protested to Turkish officials and their ambassador in Tehran. Recently, a video of the beating of Iranian travelers at the 'Gurbulagh' land border was published. Some Iranian media, including ISNA, reported the 'dismissal of the insulting Turkish officer towards Iranian citizens,' but no report regarding this has been published on the Iranian embassy's website in Ankara. In another part of his interview with ISNA, the Deputy of Tourism of the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization of Iran stated that 'Turkey is still under the umbrella of insecurity' and that travel agencies have been officially informed that 'the responsibility for the safety of travelers lies with themselves,' and this issue is 'even mentioned in the contract between the traveler and the agency.' After the failed coup on July 15 in Turkey, the dispatch of tourist tours from Iran to this country was temporarily halted. Reza Hakan Tekin, the Turkish ambassador in Tehran, announced in November that the number of Iranian travelers to his country had decreased by 30% following the failed coup in July. Morteza Rahmani Moqaddam, while pointing out that the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization 'does not intervene much in structural and executive matters out of respect for neighborly relations,' added that this organization advises tourists to choose 'safer places' for travel. In recent months, several Iranians have been killed and injured in explosions in Turkey. For instance, following the suicide attacks on July 8 at Istanbul's Atatürk Airport, one Iranian citizen was killed and five others were injured. Additionally, in the explosion on March 19 of last year at a tourist center in the city, one Iranian was killed and three others were injured. Iranian citizens do not need a visa to travel to Turkey, which is one of the favorite tourist destinations for Iranians. Meanwhile, reports indicate that Turkey's economy was severely damaged last year due to terrorist attacks in Istanbul and Ankara and the failed coup in the country.