The last time I recall government law enforcement at an airport attempting to solicit a bribe from me when coming off an SAS flight? Maybe back in the era when SAS flew to DEL, but I’ve had it happen elsewhere since then and it was when not flying SAS and not flying to DEL. You never really know if such incidents are an actual shakedown for a bribe, part of an attempt to shakedown people who agree to the bribe, or an attempt to make an example of someone for public law enforcement purposes as part of a crackdown on bribe payments. I guess the upside of the anti-cash mania crossing Scandinavia, most SAS passengers are less likely now to be able to pay bribes than would previously be the case.

My “Baltic/Eastern European mafia lord” Darth Vader “status” at AMS passport control this year wasn’t based on names, wasn’t based on a birth date/age, wasn’t based on a passport number, wasn’t based on a document issuance date and wasn’t based on face or any other biometric of sort. It was based on a number, all while ignoring the national issuing code and just about everything else beside a relatively short string of numbers.

Name-based blacklisting hitting innocent people with the same name or names calculated to be equivalent to the blacklisted is something that does happen with CBP — and with TSA — but at least with CBP they seem to not be so bad as to base the blacklisting on one number while ignoring the national issuing codes on docs physically presented to them. Yes, given the high proportion of Scandinavians with two names (or near equivalents) that are shared by thousands of others, name-based flagging can be a problem almost as much as it is for those with very common Muslim names and some other very common Asian names. But at least CBP doesn’t ignore national issuing codes for docs and the details on them when physically presented with them and accepted as authentic.

In Turkey they scan my passport and something pops up on the screen. I can se their facial expression when they get some sort of notification. Tried changing passport, no avail. Had to tell the company no more trips to Turkey for me. First time they asked for my Turkish ID card accepted i did lot have one, but it progressively got worse. Next time I was sent away to speak with the desks in the background, and eventually the police.

I did try to contact the Danish ministry of foreign affairs, their helpful advice was "please contact the Turkish authorities"

They probably have someone with a name like yours who has had a Turkish residence visa and/or ID and is wanted for investigation or more, perhaps related to business dealings on the wrong side of the tax authorities or someone who reported a stolen/lost passport with a name like yours. Danish authorities probably won’t do much of anything to help you in that regard unless you’re a big shot or know someone who is. A Turkish lawyer may be helpful to us common folk type who may find ourselves in a situation of seeming to be blacklisted in ways when it comes to Turkey, but if it’s related to the Interpol database and not linked just to the Danish nationality and name, then it’s more complicated.

I have little incentive to test my luck with the Turkish authorities. So I will just send a minion instead.

As fassy writes. Same name as someone on the watch list.

I'm not sure how common it still is, but a couple of years ago some of the names on the watch list were quite common, specially if you had a middle eastern name. I know at least one college who are refusing any assignments where he has to go to, or pass throughthe US due to a pretty bad experience with the US immigration.

The Danish authorities won't help you if you are just detained for questioning. If you get charged with something it's a different story, but you are probably till better off with the help you can get from your employer.

Comon. Don't be a chicken.

That usually isn’t a problem with CBP if the person has managed to fly to and arrive at a US airport of entry on a common carrier, even as someone with the same name as someone on the US watch lists or even the no-fly lists. It’s with the TSA that the name thing by itself is way more usually a problem, and for that the name and sex on the booking need not even be the same as that of the blacklisted figure (who may or may not even be real).

The Danish authorities do at times provide consular assistance for those Danish nationals detained for questioning even without charges having been filed.

I will take your suggestion under due consideration next time....

If you come dressed as a bird to fly, would you consider dressing up as a turkey to fly TK to Turkey?

Only if it is a an Xmas period flight to the US.

Time for you to go turkey costume shopping. What size do you want for your costume? Where's the best place to find that within walking distance of the Statens Naturehistoriske Museum in Copenhagen without possibly ending up as a wet bird on a day like this? Online shopping.

Currently my size is too big. But I am sure I can find a tailor somewhere in District 1 of Ho Chi Minh City that can make a Turkey custume. Camping out in Vietnam for work these days.

Too bad SAS doesn't fly there or I'd be in for some Bo Xao Xa Ot in a place nearby where turkey isn't on the menu and wouldn't have to connect to get to Vietnam.

It is a bit of a pity that Vietnam is not better connected to Europe. Air France flies to HCMC, and Vietnam Airlines has at least Frankfurt on the program. I saw an Edelweiss plane down here when I heading back home to Tokyo last week.