ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish authorities have arrested an American diplomat working for the U.S. Consulate in Lebanon for allegedly providing a fake passport to a Syrian national, Turkey’s state-run news agency reported on Wednesday.
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The Anadolu Agency said the suspect, identified by his initials D.J.K., was detained at Istanbul Airport on Nov. 11, and was later formally arrested on suspicion of selling the forged passport to the Syrian national for $10,000.
Anadolu said 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 U.S. Embassy in Ankara would not comment on the report. There was also no immediate comment from the U.S. Embassy in Beirut.
A U.S. diplomat (or any diplomat in the world) has diplomatic immunity, and cannot be arrested or prosecuted; they can be detained, and expelled, but that is all.