Iraqi Kurdistan – Turkey
After 11 days we were ready to go out of Kurdistan.
Crossed this border before we were quiet confident that we will make it without having any problems. But, to keep in mind, going from Iraq to Turkey will take you much more time then the other way. Cigarettes are very cheap in Iraq and the black market is very big in Iraq. Especially for weapons and drugs. So checking can take you more going this direction.
Knowing this we arrived early on the border. We entered the border and had already the first guy showing us where to park our car. It gave us a familiar feeling. He told us to go inside this building and get a exit stamp for Kurdistan. After doing so he told us we need to buy a list from him. ‚Again!‘ we thought. We told him we have one. Duygu just took a paper and wrote down our cars numberplate, names and passport numbers.
We drove to the next checkpoint in which the only checked this stupid lista. Of course they didn´t accept our paper and told us to wait. Luckily you can be sure that everything on a border which cost money is for sure available. Some guys approach us in a few seconds offering this paper. It was again just a passenger list form a bus company. Being quiet annoyed from this we started to play a little bit with the guys who wanted to sell us this list. In the end we got it for free.
The next station is almost the same procedure like entering with the car.
They check the papers of the car give you a paper, with this paper you go to another counter, pay the fee of 10 000 Dinar, receiving a receipt, going to the first counter again, handing in this paper and getting a new paper.
Good, almost done we thought. We drove in the direction of Turkey, just before the bridge we saw cars lining up. Partly dismantled, air filter, spare tyres, bumpers and so on were taking out of the cars. Don´t know what they were looking for. They waved us through, showing us to stop at the next house.
As I said, I don´t know what they were looking for at this place and also why the waved us through. Maybe it was because we looked like tourist, didn´t fit in the raster, officers couldn´t speak English, whatever.
At the house we stopped we had to show again our papers. A guy looked at us very serious asking all this question about our “whereabouts” and let us go!
We made it!, we thought. Crossing the bridge to Turkey, but the adventure just started…..
Great Story, love it!