At the Diluje Passing Paragraph on the Border of Turkey with the Nakhchyansk Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan, long lines formed. The reason for this is surprisingly, are mobile phones.
So, according to the rules that will enter into force in Turkey from the new, 2023, the fee for the import of unregistered mobile devices will increase three times. Currently, this amount is 2,732 Turkish lira. From January 1, it will exceed 6 thousand lires. At the same time, the tax levied from citizens for leaving the country will also be doubled – from 150 to 300 lire. For this reason, residents of nearby areas, such as Ardagan, Erzurum, Kars, Agra, Erzinjan, go to Nakhchivan to get an IMEI code for their “iPhones”.
It is reported that customs officers can hardly cope with mass transit from Turkey to Nakhchyan and vice versa. The Turks create long lines and chaos on the border with Georgia – also because of mobile phones. In Batumi and Tbilisi, iPhones are sold at a price of $ 1,000 lower than in Turkey – due to the depreciation of the Turkish lira and increasing duties. The price of the iPhone 14 model in Turkey is currently within 1600-1700 dollars.
Before the SARP checkpoint on the border between Turkey and Georgia, long lines formed. If earlier the crossing of the border took 6-7 minutes, and now this period has increased to 3-4 hours.