90 Turkish citizens barred from entering Israel over ‘falsified visas’

PanARMENIAN.Net - Israeli authorities barred a group of 90 Turkish tourists from entering the country on Sunday, saying that the visas presented to border control upon their arrival had been falsified, i24NEWS says.

The foreign ministry said in a statement that an Israeli travel agent making arrangements for the tourists falsified the required group visa in order to avoid paying a deposit on their behalf.

“According to the Immigration Authority, an Israeli [travel] agent forged the group visa. He was notified in advance that he would need to place a deposit for the group, or it wouldn’t be allowed in. To bypass the Turkish airline’s ban on passengers without permits, he falsified the group visa,” the foreign ministry said.

A report by Israel’s Hadashot television cited Turkish officials as saying that Israeli authorities had told them the group was denied entry for “security reasons.”

The tourists were members of an Islamic sect who had intended to visit Muslim holy sites in the country, with emphasis on those in Jerusalem, on a trip organized by a Turkey-based company.