Istanbul, Dec 22, (dpa/GNA) – Turkish authorities have arrested an American diplomat working at the US consulate in Beirut, for allegedly helping a Syrian national fly to Germany on a fake diplomatic passport, state media reports, citing police.
The US diplomat, identified by the initials DJK, is accused of “forgery of official documents” and trying to help the Syrian national leave Turkey. He was arrested in Istanbul.
Anadolu said police detained the two suspects on November 11 and found 10,000 dollars in an envelope and a forged diplomatic passport on the US diplomat.
The diplomat is now in jail while the Syrian national was released, it added.
It was not immediately clear when the US diplomat would appear in court.
The US missions in Turkey and Lebanon were not immediately available for comment.
Security footage showed the two meeting at Istanbul Airport, changing outfits and exchanging documents, Anadolu said.
The two men were later stopped by airport police before the plane’s departure and detained, closed circuit TV footage shared by private news agency Demiroren shows.
GNA