After a long flight of six hours, the plane finally landed at Ataturk International Airport, Istanbul. Right after stepping out from the plane a cool breeze kissed us and we felt the traditional hospitality of Istanbul. We walked to the terminal to relax a bit and then catch next flight to Frankfurt. Right at the gate stood two young men from the Airport Security who commanded us all to show our passports to them. I was just behind my friend who handed his passport to the officer. The officer started examining the passport like an over cautious and miser shopkeeper does with a 5000 bill in the local market in the streets of Pakistan. He, first of all, threw light with his torch and looked very carefully to the VISA and finally put the passport in his pocket and directed my friend to wait a side for a while. “We are all the same” said my other friend pointing me as well and consequently we had to experience that painful time waiting at the bench and watching people going upstairs. 

As Ataturk is one of the busiest European Airports, when the officer was done with the passengers from our flight a new plane would land. We were impatiently waiting for the officer to get free and give our passports to us as the next flight was about to be announced and we had to go to restroom before boarding for Frankfurt. Finally after restlessly waiting for about an hour the officer turned to us and without saying a single word handed over our passports to us and directed to go upstairs. 

We could not figure out what was the purpose of this weird behavior of the officer with us. Perhaps the green passport, which has become quite an infamous at airports across the globe, was the reason behind all this. Some greedy, manner less, untenable, in-docile and uncivilized criminals have brought discredit to the whole Pakistani nation who are, as a collective society, civilized, educated, honest and law abiding people. This incident made me think again and again about my passport and it for a short time eclipsed the excitement of the trip but I could get over it pretty soon. 

Our first impression about Istanbul –particularly the Turkish officials– was quite bad but our impression about these beautiful people changed after our stay in Istanbul.