US denies man held in Turkey for fake passport is diplomat

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — U.S. officials have denied an American citizen who was arrested in Turkey for allegedly providing a fake passport to a Syrian man is a U.S. diplomat. Turkish officials said Wednesday they detained a U.S. diplomat at Istanbul Airport on Nov. 11. Authorities in Turkey publicly identified the man only by his initials D.J.K., and said he worked for the U.S. Consulate in Lebanon. He was later formally arrested on suspicion of selling a forged passport for $10,000. On Thursday, the U.S. State Department said it was aware a U.S. citizen had been detained in Turkey but denied the person was a government diplomat.