summer rush preparations at turkish land borders
Strengthened security measures at entry checkpoints for handling the influx during summer holidays.
It's crunch time for Turkey's land borders this summer, as the government puts various measures in place to handle the enormous influx of travelers expected during the warm months.
Focusing on the crossings with Greece and Bulgaria—popular destinations for expatriates returning with foreign-registered vehicles for their summer holidays—, the Trade Ministry and the Interior Ministry have beefed up staff across critical points. They've dispatched customs officers from other regions to reinforce staffing and added more police officers to speed up passport control[1].
At Kapıkule, one of the busiest checkpoints, they've doubled the number of passenger processing booths from 12 to 24, with extra police personnel to keep customs and passport operations running smoothly[1]. To help travelers stay informed, live camera feeds showing real-time congestion levels will be available on the Trakya Customs and Foreign Trade Regional Directorate's website from June 15 to September 15[1][2].
Moreover, to ease procedures at Kapıkule, mobile service units from the PTT and Ziraat Bank have been set up. The Treasury and Finance Ministry has also opened additional cash desks and reinforced security with police and gendarmerie units[1].
For the Eid al-Adha holiday, extra resources will be allocated to key border crossings, with over 400 customs officers and 100 police officers assigned to manage particularly busy periods such as Kapitan Andreevo–Kapıkule, Lesovo–Hamzabeyli (Bulgaria), and Ipsala and Pazarkule (Greece)[3]. The goal? To cut down on queues during peak travel season.
In all, these personnel reinforcements, expanded processing infrastructure, real-time traffic monitoring, enhanced services, and heightened security are aimed at easing congestion and facilitating smoother passenger flow through Turkey's land borders this summer[1][3]. You can consider this your summer getaway pass!
[1] - Source: Enrichment Data: Key measures include[2] - Source: Enrichment Data: From June 15 to September 15, live camera feeds...[3] - Source: Enrichment Data: Special holiday measures...
During the summer rush, travelers seeking a lifestyle change or holiday in Turkey might find relief in the enhanced measures at Kapikule, one of the busiest checkpoints. The government has boosted staff and infrastructure, including doubling the number of passenger processing booths and providing additional police personnel, to ensure smoother passport control and a more efficient travel experience.
