Taxi driver faces five years for scamming tourists

Prosecutors in Istanbul have asked for five years in prison for a taxi driver who allegedly overcharged two Iraqi passengers last March.

The taxi driver, identified as Murat E., charged the customers TL 213 ($34.80) for a ride from Istanbul's İstinye neighborhood to Beşiktaş district - a trip that usually costs around TL 40. He is scheduled to appear before a court at a date yet to be determined.

The driver, however, rejected the charges and claimed that he took the wrong route and when the taximeter showed an excess fare, he told the customers that they did not have to pay but "they did anyway." Shato M., one of the plaintiffs, said she had paid TL 47 for the same route before and when asked the driver why they had to pay higher, he "panicked" and "told us to get out," before speeding away.