Long Queues at the Nakhchivan-Turkey Border for iPhones

Long queues have formed at the Nakhchivan-Turkey border due to iPhones. At the Dilucu crossing point, located at the border with the Autonomous Republic of Nakhchivan in Azerbaijan, lengthy lines have emerged.

The reason behind this is mobile phones. Starting from January 1, 2023, a new customs duty will come into effect, significantly increasing the import tax on unregistered mobile devices by three times. Currently, this tax is 2732 Turkish lira, but it will exceed 6000 lira after the new year. Additionally, the tax collected from citizens leaving the country will also double, increasing from 150 to 300 lira.

As a result, residents from nearby regions such as Ardahan, Erzurum, Kars, Agri, and Yozgat are traveling to Nakhchivan to obtain IMEI codes for their iPhones. Reports indicate that customs officials are struggling to manage the massive queues both from Turkey to Nakhchivan and vice versa.

Turks are also creating long lines and chaos at the border with Georgia due to mobile phones. In Batumi and Tbilisi, iPhones are sold for less than 1000 dollars compared to Turkey, due to the depreciation of the Turkish lira and the increase in taxes. Currently, the price of the iPhone 14 model in Turkey ranges from 1600 to 1700 dollars. Similarly, long queues have formed at the Sarpi crossing point at the Turkish-Georgian border.

If crossing the border used to take 6-7 minutes, it now takes 3-4 hours.