Turkish Airlines has been preventing certain passengers from boarding flights to Argentina and Brazil for nearly two weeks, citing reasons such as lack of baggage or a “clean” passport, with reasons sometimes undisclosed.
One incident occurred on February 27 when a Russian passenger, Oleg, was informed at the Istanbul airport check-in counter that his document “did not match” after the staff checked his passport. Oleg explained that he was not allowed on the flight because, according to the airline’s rules, passengers without luggage are not allowed on such flights. Oleg purchased the ticket through an aggregator, which, in response to a refund request, directed him to the airline, and the airline, in turn, directed him back to the aggregator.
Another passenger, Evgeny, who was denied boarding on a flight to Argentina via São Paulo, was told that they must have return tickets specifically to Russia. Even passengers with return tickets to Russia were denied boarding. Evgeny mentioned that individuals traveling to São Paulo on a work visa were also unable to board for the second consecutive day.
Reasons for denial varied for Evgeny, with a Russian-speaking airline representative stating that the “customs service of Latin America” did not allow them to board. No official document was provided by the company. Since Evgeny’s ticket was non-refundable, he did not receive a refund.
Approximately ten individuals were collectively denied boarding, but some Russian citizens managed to board the flight. The airline also removed passengers who held a working reservation and return tickets.
A passenger from Kazakhstan, Ibrahim, was sent away on March 1 for questioning by inspectors about his trip to Argentina, despite having a hotel reservation and return tickets. He was told to either fly home or change his ticket to Buenos Aires for the next day, with no guarantee of admission. Ibrahim bought a ticket home at his own expense and received no compensation. He believes he was denied boarding because it was his first international flight. Ibrahim applied for a refund through the airline’s website but has not received a response.
Turkish Airlines and the Argentine consulate in Istanbul have not yet responded to the agency’s inquiries. The airline’s call center mentioned that passengers removed from a flight are automatically transferred to the next available flight and issued a document allowing a full refund or free date changes if problems arise. However, the center could not confirm in advance whether there would be issues with the flight.
The airline’s website outlines rules for “additional control” for passengers heading to Venezuela, Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, and Cuba, although the publication date of these rules could not be determined. The company notes that authorities of the destination country may deny entry based on these requirements, so a similar check is conducted during boarding. Passengers failing to meet these conditions may encounter issues boarding the plane. Although Argentina is not listed, the direct flight TK15 makes a technical stop in São Paulo, Brazil.
For entry into Brazil, passengers are required to have a return ticket, a paid hotel reservation for the entire trip, and a layover not exceeding 24 hours. Brazil may deny entry to passengers visiting for an extended period without baggage, first-time international travelers, those without sufficient cash or funds on their card for the trip, and those without suitable documents for the stated purpose of the trip.
