PodcastTurkish trucks are not let in Georgia unless they bribe border police, says CHP MP
A main opposition CHP deputy has alleged that Turkish trucks are not allowed in Georgia without bribing the border police of $1,000-$2,000. CHP MP Kaya said that truck drivers are stranded on the border for 10-15 days unless they give this money.
Duvar English
A main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) has claimed that the Georgian border police have been demanding a bribe of between $1,000-2,000 from Turkish cargo trucks en route Russia and Kazakhstan.
Truck drivers who refuse to give this money are stranded on the border for 10-15 days, CHP MP Ahmet Kaya said, basing his allegation on statements of Turkish truck firms and a video footage he received from one of these firms.
Kaya made the comments during a press meeting held at the parliament on June 17.
After Turkey closed its Gürbulak border gate with Iran and Habur border gate with Iraq, Turkish trucks started to flock to the Georgian border to go to Russia and Kazakhstan, Kaya said. However here they started to face a “discriminatory” practice which is not applied to trucks of other nations, according to Kaya.
If Turkish truck drivers refuse to give a bribe to the Georgian border police, the supplies in the truck are unloaded and a complete inventory is taken. As this process takes 10-15 days, truck drivers are left with no choice, but to pay this “bribe,” said Kaya.