Policies regarding the enforcement of rules change all the time, all that has to happen is a change in the administration personnel of the customs dept and you can have problems. You have nothing to lose by calling an Embassy and asking them about your desire to bring in film in greater quantities than the laws permit. Even if they don't put anything in writing you can always argue with a combative customs agent that you have spoken to someone in that countries State dept and can give that person's name.
In a recent trip to New Zealand I had a problem carrying back my equipment. I flew Air Tahiti Nui which had a carry on bag limit of 2 bags weighing up to 10 kilos each. To decrease the possibility of problems with my film and camera bags I always bite the bullet and fly first class. Airlines very,very rarely hassle first class passengers ( I've spoken to many a flight attendant about this). I had no problems flying from NY to LA, LA to Tahiti, Tahiti to Auckland. However on the return, when I checked in at the Auckland Air Tahiti Nui counter, they weighed my legally sized carry ons. This is the first time in my life that I have ever had a carry on weighed, and I fly a lot. They told me that my bags were overweight. Now mind you I'm flying first class and the counter people are well aware of this, and on the 2 ATN flights from LA I was the ONLY person in first class, it seats 6. They told me I would have to buy a third bag and split the weight up among the now 3 carry-ons otherwise airport security would not let me through.
I bought a third bag and distributed the weight evenly. Each bag was under 10 kilos. On my way to the x-rays I am pulled over by an airport security person standing at a scale. Does she weigh each bag individually? No, she puts all 3 bags on the scale simultaneously and tells me that they weigh over 20 kilos and that 3 bags are also not allowed. I now spend the next 25 minutes explaining to her that the counter people at ATN told me to buy a third bag and that the contents of those 3 bags are film and highly delicate and expensive photography equipment. She makes a bunch of phones calls, keeps telling me I can't go through security and that I have to check one bag. I tell her that I am flying in first class, that first class is not even close to being full and that there's more than enough storage for my third bag. I'm not budging. So finally she decides to pass the buck and sends me to the x-ray guys, I guess she wanted me to be their problem. There I was lucky as the x-ray guy was far more agreeable, even downright friendly and sends me through. Once through security I repack all the gear back into 2 bags, now even heavier because they now also hold the third bag I bought.
If the hard ass security lady had been working at the x-ray instead of before the x-ray, I would have most likely had to break up my gear and check the pieces least expensive and least likely to suffer damage. Mind you none of it was inexpensive and all of it was breakable and very stealable.
Arriving in LA, I pick up my checked bags and head for customs. On the cart I'm pushing I have 200 pounds of bags. The US customs agent asks me what's in the bags. I tell him clothes,camera equipment, etc. He asks me why so much. I tell him that I am a US citizen, a photographer and have spent the last 2 months shooting landscape photos in New Zealand. He then asks me for a Carnet ( a customs document). Now at this point if I hadn't done my homework I could face having to pay duties on my own gear, all of which was purchased in the US, or face having it confiscated. However as I took the time to take my gear to a customs registration office and have it recorded and then received the proper customs papers, he took one look at the papers and sent me through, never opening a bag.
As long as the law or regulation exists, some hard ass could choose to enforce it. At the very least find out what the costs might be if you do not follow the letter of the law.
and I'll be flying out from there, so leaving excess somewhere safe outside Turkey is not an option.
