28.03.2025 00:00
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the student visa of Turkish student Rümeysa Öztürk, who is pursuing her PhD at Tufts University in Massachusetts, has been revoked and she will be deported.
The U.S. Secretary of State Rubio, who made a statement regarding the detention of Rümeysa Öztürk, who is pursuing her PhD in the U.S., announced that Öztürk's visa has been canceled and she will be deported.
Secretary of State Rubio answered a question about Rümeysa Öztürk, who was detained during an event held at the ministry.
VISA CANCELED
Rubio confirmed that Öztürk's F1 student visa has been canceled. Explaining the policies regarding under what circumstances visas can be canceled, Rubio stated, "If you apply for a visa to enter the United States as a student and tell us that your reason for coming to the U.S. is not just to write opinion pieces, but to engage in actions related to destroying universities, harassing students, taking over buildings, creating chaos, etc., and if you lie to us and enter the U.S. after obtaining a visa and participate in such activities, we will not grant you a visa, and if we have, we will revoke your visa."
RÜMEYSA ÖZTÜRK WILL BE DEPORTED
The U.S. Secretary stated that any person whose visa has been canceled will no longer be able to stay in the U.S. due to losing their legal status, saying, "When you lose your visa, you are no longer legally in the United States, and like every country in the world, we have the right to remove you from our country. It's that simple."
ACCUSED OF INCITING REBELLION
Minister Rubio accused Öztürk of "attempting to incite rebellion at the university," stating, "We grant you a visa for you to receive an education and obtain a diploma, not to be a social activist who burns and destroys our university campuses. We granted you a visa, and if you decide to do this, we will revoke your visa."
WHAT HAPPENED?
After finishing high school with honors in Turkey, Rümeysa Öztürk, who completed her double major university education and is continuing her PhD in the U.S. as a Fulbright scholar, was detained by civil ICE officers the evening of March 25, as she was leaving her home in Massachusetts to go for iftar.
While the ICE officers detained the Turkish student by handcuffing her hands behind her back, Öztürk's vocal objections were captured on camera.
Öztürk's lawyer, Mahsa Khanbabai, stated that they had not been able to reach her client, and it was noted in a statement made by Tufts University that the university administration had not been informed about the detention process.
Turkish friends who were worried about Öztürk shared that the Canary Mission website, which "tracks those who support Palestinian protests" at U.S. universities, had previously published her personal information along with an image of an article Öztürk wrote on this subject last year.
U.S. Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren, in a statement on social media, described the detention of Rümeysa Öztürk as "the latest example of a disturbing pattern aimed at suppressing civil liberties."