Are border entries and exits left to fate?

The process that began with social media influencers making headlines one after another due to scandals occupied Turkey's agenda for weeks. Between fraud, money laundering, illegal betting, and immoral broadcasts, they were the ones determining newspaper headlines and our agenda. 

With the Engin and Dilan Polat couple arrested and sent to prison, a woman who made obscene broadcasts detained, questioned, and released, and the couple Kıvanç Talu and his wife Beril Talu fleeing abroad, the number one topic on the agenda—social media influencers—was forgotten. 

Kıvanç Talu and his wife Beril Talu, who arrived in Turkey from Georgia around noon the day before yesterday, were detained upon entering the country and were arrested yesterday evening on charges of fraud. 

Journalist Emrullah Erdinç, who shared the details regarding their arrest on his social media account, put forward such an allegation that it is hard to believe. 

According to the claim Erdinç published on his social media account, the Talu couple was caught thanks to a police officer at passport control while entering Turkey from Georgia. A police officer, who recognized the couple from the news as they were entering Istanbul despite there being no arrest warrant for them in the system, immediately spoke with the prosecutor. The detention order for the couple was issued due to the officer's diligence.

Can such a thing happen? How is it possible that information regarding the wanted status of individuals who occupied Turkey's agenda for weeks is not recorded in the system?

Let's assume this is just an allegation, but when we look at what has happened in the past, we cannot say 'it definitely didn't happen!' 

THE SOMALI PRESIDENT'S SON HAD ALSO FLED!

Let us recall another scandal that occupied the public agenda and was then forgotten, much like the social media influencers. Motorcycle courier Yunus Emre Göçer lost his life in the hospital six days after being struck by a vehicle driven by Mohammed Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, the son of the Somali President, on a busy highway in Istanbul. 

Questioned and released, Mohammed Hassan Sheikh Mohamud left Turkey without any hindrance! An international travel ban was imposed on Sheikh Mohamud five days after he had already left Turkey.

CATCHING DRUG LORDS WANTED WITH RED NOTICES...

We frequently see news reports about international criminals wanted with Red Notices being captured. Most recently, Nilufar Mirxanova, an Uzbek national wanted under a Red Notice for 'human trafficking for sexual purposes,' has been captured in Çanakkale.

In December, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya proudly announced the capture of two crime lords wanted by Interpol via Red Notice. 

One was British national Mohammed Zakir Miah, a gang leader who organized drug distribution across Belgium, and the other was Chinese national Chen Xuefeng, wanted in Vietnam for grievous bodily harm; both were captured in 'KAFES-20' operations. 

Again, Yerlikaya announced that organized crime leader Eric Schroeder, who was wanted by an Interpol Red Notice issued by Germany for 'establishing an organization for the purpose of committing crimes, laundering assets derived from crime, and drug trafficking,' had been captured in Istanbul. 

So, it seems that every crime syndicate leader—British, German, Chinese, or Australian—has been entering Turkey as they please.

The son of the Somali President, who was under a travel ban, flees the country. Meanwhile, social media influencers who are under travel bans due to fraud allegations are not only leaving the country but are being caught while returning from abroad! 

IF WE WERE TREATED EVEN A TENTH AS BADLY

Do you know how innocent Turkish citizens are treated when they travel abroad? 

"You don't look like your passport photo, who are you visiting, how much money will you spend, where will you travel, why did you choose our country" They are subjected to questions like these as if they were in an interrogation room.

They are there to spend money in the country they are visiting for tourism, yet they are treated like potential criminals. 

TAKING PRECAUTIONS INSTEAD OF CHASING CRIMINALS

If we were a little more careful with entries and exits in Turkey, instead of boasting about "We caught them" we could say "We didn't let them into our country." if we were to boast...

It is certainly not easy to prevent migrants from entering our country illegally, but is it really that difficult to monitor entries and exits at places like airports and customs gates with stricter controls? 

Is it not a waste of the energy we spend trying to catch criminals wanted by Interpol?

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya has been applauded for not giving criminals any breathing room since he took office, but wouldn't we also be keeping our security forces away from dangerous operations with simple precautions?