Turkey: Security procedures prior to boarding an international flight; date of implementation; whether authorities require a list of passengers for international flights; how the information collected on passengers may be used by authorities (January 2015-January 2016)

Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa

1. Security Procedures Prior to Boarding an International Flight and Date of Implementation

In correspondence with the Research Directorate, an official at the Directorate General (DG) of Civil Aviation of the Turkish Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications, described the security procedures prior to boarding an international flight as follows:

All originating passengers and their cabin baggage are screened prior [to] boarding [an] aircraft. Only passengers with a valid boarding pass are accepted to [s]ecurity restricted area[s] and the aircraft. Also all transfer passengers and their cabin bags are screened prior to being allowed to [s]ecurity-restricted area[s] from the arrival halls. Regarding the hold baggage, all originating and transfer hold bags are screened either by multilevel [Electronic Data Systems] or by x-ray equipment. (Turkey 24 Dec. 2015)

Without providing details, the same source indicated that these procedures came into force in 1996 and that they have been amended several times since then, and that the most recent update occurred in June 2015 (ibid.).

In correspondence with the Research Directorate, an official at the Turkish Ministry of Customs and Trade described the security procedures as follows:

First, passengers go through passport control run by the Turkish National Police, who also check their boarding passes;

Following the passport control by the Turkish police, passengers go through "customs observation," which consists of monitoring passengers and their hand bags;

At this stage, security officers can decide to implement physical control if they deem it necessary (ibid. 30 Dec. 2015).

In correspondence with the Research Directorate, the Regional Station Manager Turkey of Lufthansa German Airlines described the security procedures as follows:

Initial security check at the terminal entrance at all Turkish airports, which applies to passengers, visitors, and staff;

Passport control;

Passenger security screening, including verification of passports, boarding passes and "any other travel supporting document," administered by private companies under the supervision of the Turkish police (Lufthansa 31 Dec. 2015).

According to the same source, passengers connecting at any major Turkish airport also have to go through the same passenger and hand baggage screening process (ibid.). The same source further indicated that certain airlines have implemented a "random security check" at the point of boarding, which applies mainly to "US, Canadian, British and European carriers" (ibid.)

The official at the DG of Civil Aviation of the Turkish Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications specified that passport control is run by the Turkish police, while security checks following passport control are administered by private companies, with supervision by the Turkish police (Turkey 31 Dec. 2015). According to the same source, at least one police officer is present at each security checkpoint (ibid.). The same source noted that boarding passes and IDs are also checked by airline employees prior to boarding (ibid.).

2. List of Passengers Required by Turkish Authorities

According to the Lufthansa regional station manager, Turkish authorities require a list of passengers on all incoming and outgoing flights prior to departure (Lufthansa 31 Dec. 2015). Similarly, the official at the Ministry of Customs and Trade indicated that Advance Passenger Information (API) [1] and Passenger Name Record (PNR) [2] data are collected prior to departure (Turkey 30 Dec. 2015). The same source specified that data is sent just after check-in is completed and prior to boarding (ibid.).

According to the official of the DG of Civil Aviation, the API/PNR programme was introduced in Turkey at the end of 2014 (ibid. 24 Dec. 2015). The same source reported that the API is sent to both the destination country's authorities and the Turkish Ministry of Customs and Trade (ibid. 31 Dec. 2015).Information on how the information collected on passengers may be used by authorities could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Notes

[1] According to Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), "Advance Passenger Information (API) data is basic information that identifies air travellers and flight crew. It includes the passenger's name, date of birth, gender, citizenship, and travel document data (e.g. passport number). This type of information can be obtained from the machine-readable area of the passenger's passport" (Canada n.d.).

[2] CBSA indicates that "Passenger Name Record (PNR) data is traveller flight reservation and itinerary information collected by air carriers. Specific PNR data that is collected varies from one airline to the next. It includes: type of ticket, date of travel, number of bags, seating information, etc" (Canada n.d.).

References

Canada. N.d. Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). "Advance Passenger Information / Passenger Name Record Program." [Accessed 31 Dec. 2015]

Lufthansa German Airlines. 31 December 2015. Correspondence from the Regional Station Manager Turkey to the Research Directorate.

Turkey. 31 December 2015. Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications, Directorate General of Civil Aviation. Telephone interview with an official.

_____. 30 December 2015. Ministry of Customs and Trade. Correspondence from an official to the Research Directorate.

_____. 24 December 2015. Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications, Directorate General of Civil Aviation. Correspondence from an official to the Research Directorate.

Additional Sources Consulted

Oral sources: Air France; International Air Transport Association; Pegasus Airlines; TAV Airports; Turkish Airlines.

Internet sites, including: Air Canada; Aviationlaw.eu; European Civil Aviation Conference; International Civil Aviation Organization; Istanbul Ataturk Airport; US - Department of Homeland Security.