Unable to leave North Cyprus due to NOT having correct papers

Obviously_the_best

MoneyMad, your 'newbie' is 100% right. It's always your responsibility to know the laws of the country you're travelling to. Always.

Unfortunately, you're the one who is at fault here, although it would have been common courtesy for your travel agent to check you knew.

The other thing you complain about, your travel agent marking up ticket prices, is an example of 2 things. 1) You not checking elsewhere. They're perfectly within their rights to do that, it's up to you to shop around, and 2) Never use a travel agent. They add cost and complication to everything.

balletshoes

silvercar wrote: »

I don't know the rules for Northern Cyprus particularly, but I know friends with dual nationality for other countries and they all say you have to enter and leave any country on the passports of that country if you have that nationality.

Did you enter Northern Cyprus on your British passports?

the OP doesn't say anything about them having Turkish nationality as in Turkish kimliks and Turkish passports? They are all British-born, with British passports.

As the mother of a British-born Turkish child, we decided she would not be registered with the authorities in Turkey, as she has no need of dual nationality. She doesn't consider Turkey as her home as we have only visited for holidays. Therefore, even though she has a Turkish name, and her Dad is a Turkish citizen, she would know nothing of any particular rule (if it applied to her) regarding having to have relevant papers, as a British citizen with a Turkish name, to exit Turkey or Northern Cyprus at the end of a holiday. Her Dad hasn't lived in Turkey for over a decade and he did his national service there many years ago, so he would have no clue about this rule either.

I do have some sympathy with the OP - however, if he didn't know this rule, I personally don't think its up to a TA, or an airline, or passport control on entry, to make him aware of it. How would he propose this is done? Have the TA and the airline send out the rule to every family who books through them, just in case they have a Turkish name/dual nationality?

Big_Tree

You are to blame MoneyMad, there's no-one you can claim from, an expensive lesson indeed.

Pollycat

I'm not a newbie but I agree with this newbie's answer:

rubbishreply wrote: »

You are responsible to know the requirements for countries you choose to travel to.

Most airlines, travel agents & tour operators have a disclaimer that states this.

MoneyMad wrote: »

As a side, issue i think the system in North Cyprus that catches British Citizens born to Turkish Parents or have a Turkish Name is ridiculous and should be done away with.

Then try to get the 'system' changed.

Can't help with where to start on that though.

InsideInsurance

Presumably the missing paperwork was about avoiding national service with the military?

Unfortunately as others have pointed out, it is your own responsibility to ensure you are aware of the immigration requirements etc of your destination. Travel agents sometimes will give basic advice but always caveat it with the fact you need to check yourself. Some refer you on to specialist companies that will, often for a fee, give you formal advice and only at that point do you have any potential cover for bad advice.

Buzby

This is hardly new - in 1968 I had to stop visiting Poland. I had reached 16 and despite visiting every year for holidays (I had a polish dad) there was a real risk I would be required to do 2 years military service. Not on entry, but on exit.

You are not dual nationality based on your passport, but whether the authorities decide - a parent is all it takes.

Your visit was I'll advised, and as others have noted, your son will continue to be placed in this situation until he's too old (it is 35 in Poland). There is no blame attached to the travel agent or airline.

peachyprice

Obviously it is up to the individual to check they have the correct paperwork, but why would it enter into the head of anyone who is a British citizen, born in the UK, with a full British passport, that they need paperwork, that they're not even entitled to, to ensure they're allowed to leave Turkey?

And where is this information even available, it's not on the British or Turkish consulate websites.

MoneyMad

Thanks for all your replies, but i think the majority of you did not understand the original post, i appreciate i might be to blame for not being able to read Turkish, but the point is, I ended up having re-buy airline tickets at more than the cost of the return flight tickets, just to sort out this mess. Why is that right and i have to take the hit! i already paid what is more than the cost of the ticket issued by the airline! so i think the airline should have been able to do something to just book us on another flight and maybe pay a nominal fee change the tickets, may be those tickets we were sold were discounted tickets with special conditions on them, but again we were not told this! WE ARE BRITISH born with BRITISH passports, the only thing Turkish about my son is his Name and of course my turkish surname who was also born in the UK. We have NEVER lived in Cyprus for more than 2 weeks at a time, or had a Turkish Passports. So why treat us as though we are running away from doing military service, this should ONLY apply to Turkish born children surely. Anyway, i think you all feel i am to blame so i guess thats the end of the story. For those who are reading this and have at least one Turkish Parent OR are Turkish and want to go and see their parents birthplace in North Cyprus. PLEASE PLEASE be aware that you WILL have to go and get exit papers sorted during your stay, it only takes 10-15 mins to do, and you will need someone who can write in turkish, The rules appear o apply to those born in 1996 or earlier. If they never changed the rules I would have known what i needed to do, but i was under the impression my son was not caught by this change. ANYWAY, the best thing to do is ASK the person on passport control as you arrive as they should be the ones making you aware of what the sign says, as the sign is written in Turkish and displayed at his desk. Obviously if you are an English Born Turk you may not be able to read the sign so ASK what it says. Finally, we love going to NORTH CYPRUS, it is a beautiful Country and would NOT recommend anyone goes there as it will spoil what i truly truly believe is the best place on earth ;-)

silvercar

WE ARE BRITISH born with BRITISH passports, the only thing Turkish about my son is his Name and of course my turkish surname who was also born in the UK.

The authorities must have some knowledge of some ancestry that is Turkish. They can't stop everyone with a Turkish sounding name.

For those who are reading this and have at least one Turkish Parent OR are Turkish and want to go and see their parents birthplace in North Cyprus.

So the authorities knew this. It is this that caused your delay in leaving not the sound of your name.

If they never changed the rules I would have known what i needed to do,

You expect the airline to know the rules and know what you had to do, even though you were travelling on a British passport, so they would not have known you had any connection to Turkey other than a Turkish sounding name.

silvercar

may be those tickets we were sold were discounted tickets with special conditions on them, but again we were not told this!

Sounds like you bought the cheaper non-flexible tickets. Would you have paid more for flexible tickets? I doubt it as as far as you knew there would be no problem leaving. According to what you wrote your thought process would have had to have been " I had better buy flexible expensive tickets because I have a Turkish sounding name and that may delay me leaving the country" but if you had thought that you would have sorted your paperwork in advance and still got the flexible tickets.

I don't think the airline is at fault. Tickets at short notice are always expensive.

If you do have a claim it may be that your insurer could help. If you turned up to the airport on time and then were denied flight access that may be something you could claim for.