Turkey arrests US 'diplomat' for selling fake passport

Turkish state news agency Anadolu on Wednesday reported that authorities at Istanbul Airport had arrested a diplomat from the US Consulate in Lebanon after they had supplied a passport in their name to a Syrian national seeking to travel to Germany.

What did Turkey say?

Turkish authorities say the American was detained on November 11, after passport control flagged the diplomatic passport presented by the Syrian as suspicious. 

Surveillance camera footage, say authorities, captured images of the two exchanging clothes, the passport, and an envelope. When the diplomat was detained, authorities found that the envelope contained $10,000 (€8,840) in cash.

The Turkish daily newspaper Sabah, which has close government ties, said diplomatic immunity only applies in accredited countries, thus Turkey was within its rights to make the arrest as the individual in question was only accredited to work in Lebanon.  

The American, whom Turkish media sources have only identified by the initials DJK, has been charged with providing a fake copy of their own passport.

"D.J.K., an American citizen, was arrested and transferred to prison," a police source was quoted as saying. 

The Syrian, identified by the initials RS, was charged with forging an official document and later released. 

How has the US reacted to the arrest?

The US State Department later on Thursday acknowledged that a US citizen had been arrested in Turkey, but denied that he is a diplomat. 

"We are aware of the detention of a US citizen in Turkey. The individual is not a US diplomat. We are providing appropriate consular services," a State Department spokesperson said in a statement. 

Observers say the incident could further strain already poor relations between the NATO partners. Ankara was angered this year by the US call to release jailed philanthropist Osman Kavala and President Joe Biden's decision to recognize the Armenian genocide. 

js, wd/wd, fb (AP, Reuters)