For the last 13 years the world has taken note of the effects of 9/11 on airport security issues. My recent visits to the United States, United Kingdom and EU member countries have left me stunned by how the obsessive behavior and accusatory tones of officers have become the norm. However, the legitimacy of these security standards after 9/11 created a number of human rights violations as well as discriminatory and racist actions based on ethnicity, religion and skin color. The arbitrary actions of officers are legitimized by merely saying "We are doing our job." When such acts are carried out, whether verbal or physical, we who face these violations of our rights have no power before the system.

The visibility of ethnic or religious symbols, skin color and lifestyle are being used to harm and stigmatize the "other" when going through customs. Are these so-called high standards of security simply a way to instill fear within those passing through?
Or are they turning into a tool of oppression for those who custom officers think they can humiliate? I believe the root of this behavior is not based on security concerns but on arbitrary treatment against relatively disadvantaged groups, where officers easily say, "This is just for security reasons," and we have no power to call out the abuse.

Last October, I was travelling to the U.S. via Amsterdam. I held a visa, a current passport, had nothing to declare and did not engage in any kind of suspicious behavior. I was asked a series of irrelevant questions before boarding the flight for Boston. The questions posed to me were much more detailed and aggressive than the standard questions of "Where will you stay in the U.S.?" and "What is the purpose of your trip?" According to the law, airline staff have no right to ask these questions to passengers, only security personnel are allowed to do so.

I told the officers I would be speaking at a conference and showed the invitation. The officer was not satisfied as he continued asking about my marital status, where I lived and worked, what my current position was, and requested a series of documents to substantiate my answers. I told him I was a social scientist studying discrimination at EU borders. Understanding the irony behind my answer, he got upset and tried to humiliate me even more.

I had to answer hundreds of questions, including whether my lap top was stolen or if it belonged to me. I had to provide an official document proving that I worked in Turkey. They wanted to find out if anyone had stopped me during my journey and given me something or if I was sure that I had no prohibited items in my possession. They made me feel as though I was a thief or someone they should be suspicious of.

I had a similar experience at the Belgian border last week. I was there to attend the Kaaitheather's Wowomen festival on Turkey and feminism during International Women's Day on March 8. I had no difficulty getting a visa and passing through passport control; however just before the exit, an officer selected me from among a crowd of 20 to 30 people entering the country. He asked me if I had something to declare; I said no. He took me to a room and asked me to open my baggage. My hand bag, lap top bag and big baggage were thoroughly inspected.

I asked the officers why they had chosen me and what was the justification behind their choice. An argument ensued between us. Once again, it turned into a number of abuses and continued with the threat of arrest if I did not keep my mouth shut. The officers became harsher in their behavior as my tidy baggage turned into a mess. They threw some of my clothes around and asked me to pick them up. They questioned the entire contents of my bag, including my laptop once again. They checked how many euros I had and whether my handbags were original brands and if I had brought them to sell in Belgium.

An officer who wants to humiliate you under the guise of airport security has limitless power. Why had they chosen me from among the crowd? What were their reasons? Why did they stop me but not the others? Why is it okay when others say they have nothing to declare but not when I say it? Is it because I wear a headscarf? Is it because I don't look Western and come from Asia Minor? What about the famous European human rights standards we hear so much about?

Since I started examining EU-Turkey affairs, I have lost track of how many times I came across the issue of standards; the standards that Turkey needs to reach, create and realize. Now I need to ask the same question: Where are these EU standards for equal and lawful treatment at borders?