ANKARA, Turkey — Turkish authorities have arrested an American diplomat working for the US Consulate in Lebanon for allegedly providing a fake passport to a Syrian man, Turkey’s state-run news agency reports.
The Anadolu Agency says the suspect, identified by his initials D.J.K., was detained at Istanbul Airport on November 11, and was later formally arrested on suspicion of selling the forged passport for $10,000.
Anadolu says the Syrian was detained for questioning after he attempted to travel to Germany on the false passport, which was in D.J.K.’s name.
Police later determined through an examination of security camera footage, that D.J.K. gave him the passport at the airport and the two also exchanged clothes. Police also seized an envelope containing $10,000 from the diplomat, the report said.
The American was jailed while the Syrian was released pending possible proceedings for falsifying documents, Anadolu reported.
The US Embassy in Ankara wouldn’t comment on the report. The US Embassy in Beirut doesn’t respond to a request for comment.
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