04.11.2026 14:34
Arif Berber (46), a tradesman in Rize, said that his car, which he has used in Rize and surrounding provinces for 6 years, received toll violation penalties from the North Marmara Motorway and Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge toll booths in Istanbul. Claiming that the fines belong to an Iranian-plate TIR whose plate resembles his own, Berber filed a criminal complaint with the prosecutor's office after facing approximately 50,000 TL in fines and enforcement proceedings.
Arif Berber (46), a tradesman living in Rize, filed a criminal complaint with the prosecutor's office on the grounds that he had been issued fines for toll highway and bridge crossing violations on different dates from Istanbul, where he had never been with his car. Claiming that fines issued to an Iranian-plated truck with a plate similar to his vehicle's plate were sent to him, Berber said, 'My vehicle has not gone beyond Ordu. Lawyers suggest changing my plate as a solution, but this is not a permanent solution. Tomorrow, when someone else gets this plate, they will experience the same problem. I check my phone 24 hours a day with the worry that a seizure or attachment order may be issued for my car at any moment.'
Arif Berber, who runs a business in the city, changed the plate of his 1998 model car with plate 61, which he bought from Trabzon in 2020, to '53 AB 103' later. Berber was notified via e-Government that his car, which he has used in Rize and neighboring provinces for 6 years, had committed a highway crossing violation. Examining the notification, Berber claimed that within the past year an Iranian-plated truck had committed crossing violations at the toll booths of the North Marmara Motorway and the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge, and that the fines were recorded against his own plate. Berber paid some of the fines but, with new violation notifications arriving, applied to the relevant authorities and filed a criminal complaint regarding fines of approximately 50 thousand TL. Drawing attention to the possibility of conflicts in plate recognition systems due to the use of '53' plates in some cities in Iran, he demanded that his grievance be remedied.
THERE IS A VIOLATION, BUT I AM THE VICTIM
Stating that he did not go beyond Ordu with his vehicle and did not go to Istanbul, Berber said, 'My 1998 model car has been with me for 6 years. An Iranian-plated truck with a plate similar to mine makes illegal crossings through the toll booths of the North Marmara Motorway and the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge. All printouts, enforcement documents, and erroneous toll records come to me. I have nothing to do with it. My vehicle has never gone beyond Ordu. So how does my vehicle pass through these toll booths? I call customer services and the relevant institutions. It is determined that the vehicle passes through the toll booths without paying and that it is a class 4 truck. However, all the fines and enforcement proceedings for these violations come to me. There is a violation here, but I am the victim.'
CHANGING THE PLATE IS NOT A SOLUTION
Stating that he filed a criminal complaint with the prosecutor's office to solve the problem and spoke with traffic units, Arif Berber said, 'I have been dealing with this for a year. We have not been able to make any progress. Even lawyers tell us to change our plate. As a citizen of the Republic of Turkey, I pay my taxes, insurance, and comprehensive insurance. Why do I have to change my plate because of a foreigner? Changing the plate is very simple, but it is not the ultimate solution. Tomorrow someone else will get this plate, and the same problems will happen to them.'
I CHECK E-GOVERNMENT 24 HOURS A DAY
Stating that he lives in fear with the worry of an attachment or seizure order, Berber said, 'I check e-Government on my phone 24 hours a day with the worry that a seizure or attachment order may be issued for my car at any moment. I have started keeping watch by the phone.'