What happens if I get arrested in Istanbul?

John McCarroll
31 March, 2016

The Turkish police are generally quite friendly to foreigners.  The most important thing is to be helpful and polite.  It's likely you will end up waiting a good long while because they will need to track down a certified translator in order to take your statement.  

You should call the US embassy or consulate.  Unlike the movies, they won't send anyone out, but they will have a list of lawyers to recommend.  You are subject to the laws of Turkey and the system can be bewildering, so get a good lawyer as soon as possible.  And remember, don't do drugs while you are there -- its not worth it.

I was never arrested, but after a serious car accident I did spend several hours at a police station.  And I after I lost my US passport, I had some troubel straightening out my visa, leading to a long visit to a different police station, where I was invited to stay until they could work out if I was an illegal immigrant.

Police Getting Arrested Security Law
John McCarroll

Irresponsible anthropologist and fiction writer. Used to be an expat in Istanbul. 

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