Macit Karaahmetoğlu, SPD Member of the German Federal Parliament, drew attention to the hours-long waits faced by Turkish citizens living abroad traveling to Turkey by road during the summer holidays at border gates. Karaahmetoğlu sent letters to the ambassadors of the countries along the Homeland Road route. In the letters, he requested that organizational measures be taken to increase the number of personnel and speed up border crossings during the summer months.

Diplomatic initiative for the Homeland Road

Macit Karaahmetoğlu, SPD Member of the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag), together with Adis Ahmetović, Member of the Federal Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, sent letters to the embassies of Bulgaria, Serbia, Greece, and Hungary.

The letters emphasized that hundreds of thousands of citizens of Turkish origin travel to Turkey with their families by car every year during the summer holidays. However, it was noted that the long vehicle queues at border gates, especially during the summer season, lead to serious grievances.

"The same problems occur every summer"

Karaahmetoğlu stated that the hours-long waits at border gates pose a great difficulty, especially for families with small children, the elderly, and passengers with health problems. Karaahmetoğlu made the statement, "It is unacceptable for our citizens traveling on the Homeland Road to have to wait for many long hours at border gates before their holidays even begin. We cannot normalize the occurrence of the same problems every summer. The relevant authorities must make the necessary preparations in a timely manner and strengthen coordination at border gates."

Karaahmetoğlu stated that he would continue to be the voice of the citizens. He said that the letters sent to the ambassadors were only the beginning of the process, and he would closely follow the issue in the coming period.

Additional personnel and new measures requested

The MPs' letters stated that border and customs controls are carried out within the sovereign authority of the respective countries. While respect for efforts towards security and migration management was noted, additional personnel were requested, especially during the busiest weeks due to increased traffic density in the summer months.

It was also pointed out that evaluating organizational measures to speed up border crossings would significantly ease the travel of thousands of passengers.

Small improvements make a big difference

Macit Karaahmetoğlu and Adis Ahmetović stated that even small improvements at border gates would make the journey of thousands of diaspora members safer and more comfortable.

The MPs also emphasized that these steps would not only reduce the grievances of citizens but also contribute to the positive image of the respective countries in Europe and to bilateral relations.

In the letters sent, ambassadors were asked to convey the requests to their respective governments, and a call was made for a positive evaluation of the issue to reduce the border gate congestion experienced every summer.