Statement from Rümeysa Öztürk of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Our efforts are ongoing.

29.03.2025 17:30

The spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Öncü Keçeli, stated that efforts are ongoing for the release of Turkish doctoral student Rümeysa Öztürk, who was detained in the United States.

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The Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Öncü Keçeli, stated that efforts are ongoing for the release of Turkish doctoral student Rümeysa Öztürk, who was detained in the USA.

"OUR EFFORTS CONTINUE FOR HER RELEASE"

Keçeli, in a post on his social media account regarding Öztürk's current situation, stated, "Our efforts for the release of our citizen Rümeysa Öztürk, who was detained in the USA, are ongoing, and all kinds of consular services and legal support are being provided by our Embassy in Washington and our relevant Consulates."

"DEMANDS HAVE BEEN COMMUNICATED TO LOCAL AUTHORITIES"

Emphasizing that Turkey's Consul General in Houston visited Öztürk at the center where she is being held in Louisiana, Keçeli reported that Öztürk's requests and demands have been communicated to local authorities and her lawyer.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Turkish student Rümeysa Öztürk, who is pursuing her doctoral studies at Tufts University in Massachusetts, was detained on the evening of March 25 while going to have iftar with her friends by six masked officers from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that Öztürk's student visa had been canceled and that she would be deported. Rubio stated that the visas of more than 300 foreign students, whom he described as "Hamas supporters" and "crazy" (anti-Israel), had been canceled. A federal judge in the USA had issued a stay order against the deportation of Turkish student Öztürk, who was detained by ICE officers.