Iran Parliament to Look Into Case of Mistreatment at Turkey Border
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – An Iranian lawmaker said the Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission will follow up on the case of insulting treatment of Iranian travelers at a border crossing with Turkey.
In an interview with Tasnim on Monday, Hossein Naqavi Hosseini, member of the parliamentary commission, said it will definitely address reports about mistreatment of Iranian tourists by a Turkish officer at Bazargan-Gurbulak border crossing.
He noted, however, that the parliament has not yet received any official report from the Foreign Ministry about the incident.
The lawmaker also called on Iranians to avoid traveling to Turkey, citing security concerns.
The comments came after a video went viral showing an angry Turkish police officer swearing at an Iranian traveler and hitting him with a nightstick while Iranians were standing in a queue at Gurbulak border crossing, northeast of Turkey.
A few days later, Turkish officials assured Iran that the officer has been sacked, and photos also emerged showing Turkish security forces welcoming Iranian travelers at the same location with flowers and chocolates.
On Sunday, Iran’s Foreign ministry also urged Iranian nationals to avoid traveling to the neighboring country due to security concerns and advised those who do make the trip to exercise caution while in Turkey.