In a first-of-its-kind initiative, a state-run agency has deployed teams on the Serbian border to assist Turkish expatriates from European countries heading home for holidays.

Turkish-Serbian speaking students and Turkish police officers accompany the staff of the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB) at the border gates with Serbia.

The YTB also deployed cars for round-the-clock support for Turkish travelers on the Serbian route. "I hope our citizens in Europe will experience more comfortable transportation to Turkey this summer," said Abdullah Eren, head of the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB).

The staff will provide road safety and customs information to expatriates and will help with legal or any other problems they might face along the route.

The agency will also organize events for Turkish expatriates at the İpsala and Kapıkule border gates, bordering Turkey with Greece and Bulgaria, respectively. Every summer, Turkish expatriates who live in Europe, particularly in Germany, drive all the way to Turkey to spend their summer holiday in the country, forming long lines at the border crossing. Serbia is among the main routes they take. Last year, more than 720,000 Turkish expatriates drove to Turkey from Europe.