Growing up\nin the Schengen area, I remembered border crossings in Europe from my\nearly childhood as something very easygoing and as a child actually\nquiet exciting. Well the more you grow up, the more you see. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nowadays I\nreally don\u00b4t like to cross borders. It is also something different\ngoing through a border checkpoint on a airport or crossing by land. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Crossing by\nland means you will cross the same way like smugglers. Crossing in a\nold and big caravan makes yourself even more suspicions. Therefore we\nhad a lot of police in our car, checking for drugs, weapons and\nhumans. Just depending which direction you go. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
That\u00b4s\nannoying and knowing what is happing to people who are trying to\ncross the borders in Europe illegally doesn’t give a better feeling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I don\u00b4t\nlike it, but I also knew to cross between Turkey and Iraqi Kurdistan\nwill be a whole different Story. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Just to give\nyou a brief update about Kurdistan: The countries Turkey, Syria and\nIraq don\u00b4t exist for to long. The borders were more or less drawn in\nthe beginning of the 20th<\/sup> century, splitting the Kurdish\narea between this countries (also Iran), making them a minority in\neach country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Every of\nthis countries has their own Kurdish movement with different ideas.\nViolence is regularly erupting in the east of Turkey, the situation\nof the Kurdish area in the North of Syria has become very complicated\nduring the on going war in Syria. Since the beginning of the 90s\nKurdish people in Iraq managed to establish a autonomous area, called\nIraqi Kurdistan. (There will be more information soon on this\nhomepage.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Telling\nthis, you might understand that this area is not the easiest one,\nthere is high security alert and we really had no idea what to\nexpect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Reading in\nthe internet doesn\u00b4t help to much as well. That\u00b4s why I will write\nsomething about it \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n The official\nborder crossing is the Ibrahim Khalil Border Crossing, <\/em>or\njust Habur. <\/em>It is\nbetween Silopi in Turkey and Zakho in Kurdistan. I was reading\nabout a second crossing, but could not find any information about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We drove\nfrom the west, passing through Nusaybin and Cizre (Turkey), an area\nwhich lived big violence in 2015. The road follows the border to\nSyria, in some parts the border fence is just a few meters away from\nthe street. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n We were not\ntalking to much in this part, just wondering how live is behind this\nfence, stopping every 30 or so kilometre passing a police checkpoint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is\nstrange area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We arrived\nSilopi, all the things around us took our excitement about the\ncrossing, but now being in Silopi we knew…in 10 km we will face\nwhat ever we need to face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just after\nthe town the condition of the road is going to ‚very good‘! A big\nhighway with 2 lines each direction. I was quiet surprised seeing\nthis. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n Around 500 m\nbefore the border this road stops in a big highway crossing, the way\nto the border was blocked, we followed the only possible way ending\nup on the door of a huge Truck parking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n People\nlooked at us, asking what we want. I said :\u201dIraq??\u201d. They showed\nus the way, for some reason this big highway stops there and becomes\nan chaotic 2 line street, with 2 empty lines on the side. No idea\nwhy. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rolling\nslowly on this road we reached a small queue in front of a cabin,\nwhich turned out of being the entry of the border. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n Immediately\n20 Kids were around us trying to sell us something what they called,\n\u201cthe lista\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The\nsituation was little bit confusing, not really knowing what they what\nto sell us or if we even net this paper. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n So this was\nthe beginning! Luckily Duygu can speak Turkish and she could ask the\nofficers what kind of list the kids selling. Well they didn\u00b4t give a\nclear answer, just that we need this list. It is a simple passenger\nlist, just a paper in which you can type in the passengers and the\ncar you are travelling in. We had the feeling that this was kind of a\nfavour for this kids. Instead of the border police is printing it\nthey give the kids a chance to make some pocket money (maybe, maybe\nnot).<\/p>\n\n\n\n We bought\nthis list for less then a Dollar, you will need it later that is for\nsure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Having the\nlist we faced the first check, just one officer looking inside the\ncar asking where we go, if we have some illegal things etc. It was\npretty smooth and we continued to the next checkpoint. It was the\n\u201ccheckout\u201d of Turkey with our passports. Exiting Turkey with a\nTurkish document requires a so called stamp. So Duygu went to the\noffice and bought a stamp for 15 Lira, without this she cannot leave\nthe country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We got our\nexit stamps and went through the usual checks, the car, customs and\nbefore you exit Turkish territory they are asking you for the lista.\n<\/em>All this area is a little bit\nchaotic and it is a big area. I guess this passenger list just gives\nthe possibility for the border police to see who is going inside this\narea and who is going out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nAnyway this process took us at least 1-1,5 hours. We crossed a bridge\nand were welcomed from a big sun in the Flag of Kurdistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nSeeing the Flag of Kurdistan doesn\u00b4t mean that you are in Kurdistan.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nTwo Peschmerga soldiers where stopping us in a friendly way and tried\nto involve us in a small talk asking the usual question. Where are\nyou from, how many people, and so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After exchanging a few phrases the showed us the way to a car park in front of huge building. A worker helped us to park our car and sent us inside the house for the passport control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nIt was an exciting moment for us entering this place. A huge and\nempty hall, Barzani pictures on ever side. In the far corner we found\ntwo counters, with some people in front. It looked funny, this big\nempty hall and in the corner some people queuing. Nothing in this big\nbuilding, but still they had to push to be the firs in the line. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nAfter looking at a very serious looking passport officer we got our\nstamps for Kurdistan, realizing that we both got a visa for 30 days\nin Kurdistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nWe met an English speaking guy who helped us with translation and\nshowed us the way to the next checkpoint. Cars with European\nNumberplate will be checked extra. 2 guys were walking around the car\nchecking the papers of the car extra carefully and double check it\nwith the chassis number in the car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nThey were quiet friendly and asking me: \u201cIs it your first time in\nIraq?\u201d, I said \u201cyes\u201d. He said: \u201cThis is not Iraq, this is\nKurdistan. Welcome!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nAfter a little time they were finished with us and sent us in the\nnext building. It looked like a ordinary department, I hand in the\npapers the guys gave me. He checked it and sent me outside to the\nnext guy. This is the part were you have to pay money. It is the only\npart (besides the kids outside the border).<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n10 000 Dinar, around 9$. After paying this fee we returned to the\ndepartment, handing in the receipt that we paid and received a paper\nfrom the officer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nAfter this point you are almost finished, we got stopped one more\ntime, but it was just a little small talk with the soldier. Passing\nthis we only had to show our passports and all the collected papers\nagain at the exit of the border. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nAll in all this crossing took us 3-4 hours. It was easy going because\npeople were friendly, helpful and not pushing at all. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nIt was more like a game, managing one task and being allowed to the\nnext one, without knowing how many more there is to come. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just to give\na summary:<\/p>\n\n\n\n You only\nneed a passport and normal car papers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Duygu and me\n(Turkish and German passport) got a 30 days visa without payment or\napplication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For the car\nwe had to pay a 10 000 Dinar ( ~9 $) fee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This was the\nonly border so far, where we had to show Wallaces papers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n People were\nvery easy going. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n Iraqi\nKurdistan \u2013 Turkey<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \nAfter 11 days we were ready to go out of Kurdistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nCrossed this border before we were quiet confident that we will make\nit without having any problems. But, to keep in mind, going from Iraq\nto Turkey will take you much more time then the other way. Cigarettes\nare very cheap in Iraq and the black market is very big in Iraq.\nEspecially for weapons and drugs. So checking can take you more going\nthis direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nKnowing this we arrived early on the border. We entered the border\nand had already the first guy showing us where to park our car. It\ngave us a familiar feeling. He told us to go inside this building and\nget a exit stamp for Kurdistan. After doing so he told us we need to\nbuy a list from him. ‚Again!‘ we thought. We told him we have one.\nDuygu just took a paper and wrote down our cars numberplate, names\nand passport numbers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nWe drove to the next checkpoint in which the only checked this stupid\nlista. Of course they didn\u00b4t accept our paper and told us to\nwait. Luckily you can be sure that everything on a border which cost\nmoney is for sure available. Some guys approach us in a few seconds\noffering this paper. It was again just a passenger list form a bus\ncompany. Being quiet annoyed from this we started to play a little\nbit with the guys who wanted to sell us this list. In the end we got\nit for free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nThe next station is almost the same procedure like entering with the\ncar. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nThey check the papers of the car give you a paper, with this paper\nyou go to another counter, pay the fee of 10 000 Dinar, receiving a\nreceipt, going to the first counter again, handing in this paper and\ngetting a new paper. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nGood, almost done we thought. We drove in the direction of Turkey,\njust before the bridge we saw cars lining up. Partly dismantled, air\nfilter, spare tyres, bumpers and so on were taking out of the cars.\nDon\u00b4t know what they were looking for. They waved us through,\nshowing us to stop at the next house. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nAs I said, I don\u00b4t know what they were looking for at this place and\nalso why the waved us through. Maybe it was because we looked like\ntourist, didn\u00b4t fit in the raster, officers couldn\u00b4t speak English,\nwhatever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nAt the house we stopped we had to show again our papers. A guy looked\nat us very serious asking all this question about our \u201cwhereabouts\u201d\nand let us go!<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nWe made it!, we thought. Crossing the bridge to Turkey, but the\nadventure just started…..<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \nAlready on the bridge some guys stopped us, loaded with Cigarettes\nthey asked us to take a few of them and hand them over on the other\nside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nWell normally I havent\u00b4t got a big problem helping someone out in\nthis kind of situation. But in this border we refused. Everyone needs\nto decide for themselves in this moments, but we didn\u00b4t want to take\nit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nAfter dealing with them we arrived in a big place under a roof. A few\ncars were park, a lot of people, luggage on the ground and in between\nsome guys who looked like border police.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nA very busy place with no rush at all….okay now I know why this\nborder crossing will take more time. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n \nWe waited for some time until one cop came. They were first\ndiscussing whether to let us through or just check everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What they\ndidn\u00b4t know was that 50% of could understand them. That\u00b4s why Duygu\nasked them friendly if they are talking about us. Slightly shocked\nthey became very friendly, asking us the normal question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A guy came\ninside checking here and there, not really knowing how to search a\ncar like this. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n We waited in\nthis place maybe one hour, every now and then one officer came\nchecked this and that place, another one was checking our roofbox. We\nhad to hand in a few items to the Xray machine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The next\nstep is the passport control. The guy in the hut looked at my\npassport and told us to go to the police station inside the border\narea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u00b4t know\nif it has to do with a foreign passport or not, but you just go\ninside the building, they take your passport and stamp it. That\u00b4s\nit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When we had\nto show our car papers it was a little different. We were supposed to\ngo to the Xray machine with our car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sounds\neasy…it was … and it only took 2 or so hours until they checked\nus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We waited\ntogether with some trucks, buses and some cars. It was actually quiet\nentertaining waiting there, seeing cars arriving and seeing all the\ncigarettes people trying to smuggle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We talked\nwith the people, played some guitar and waited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Normally you\nshould take out all the stuff inside the car. Luckily we could\nconvince them that this will take all day for us. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n To make the\nending short; after the Xray they checked some special places handing\nout a picture of the car and a paper, with this paper you should go\nto another guy, receiving a paper, with this paper you go to the\nplace which they told you to go to the Xray. Here you will get a\nstamp. Without this stamp they will not let you out off the border.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After\ngetting this stamp you will show everything on the exit check and you\nare done!!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n We were very\nhappy to be in Turkey again, after 6 hours in the border.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was time\nto find a place to sleep….the sun was going down.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Growing up in the Schengen area, I remembered border crossings in Europe from my early childhood as something very easygoing and as a child actually quiet exciting. Well the more you grow up, the more you see. Nowadays I really don\u00b4t like to cross borders. It is also something different going through a border checkpoint … „Border crossing Turkey – Iraqi Kurdistan“ <\/span>weiterlesen<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":""},"categories":[8,27,37,28],"tags":[32,33,31,30,29,15,34],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paMWFm-2S","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.rockandrollcaravancafe.de\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/178"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.rockandrollcaravancafe.de\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.rockandrollcaravancafe.de\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.rockandrollcaravancafe.de\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.rockandrollcaravancafe.de\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=178"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.rockandrollcaravancafe.de\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/178\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":180,"href":"http:\/\/www.rockandrollcaravancafe.de\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/178\/revisions\/180"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.rockandrollcaravancafe.de\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=178"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.rockandrollcaravancafe.de\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=178"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.rockandrollcaravancafe.de\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=178"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}