{"id":956,"date":"2026-02-06T12:20:15","date_gmt":"2026-02-06T12:20:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/956\/"},"modified":"2026-02-06T12:20:15","modified_gmt":"2026-02-06T12:20:15","slug":"kenyan-court-orders-unconditional-release-of-turkish-refugee-sought-by-ankara","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/956\/","title":{"rendered":"Kenyan court orders unconditional release of Turkish refugee sought by Ankara"},"content":{"rendered":"

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A court in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi on Tuesday ordered the unconditional release of Turkish refugee Mustafa G\u00fcng\u00f6r, who had been arrested following a request from Ankara and faced deportation.<\/p>\n

G\u00fcng\u00f6r had been detained over allegations by Turkish authorities that he has links to the faith-based G\u00fclen movement, despite his registered refugee status in Kenya.<\/p>\n

In a statement on X, Amnesty International\u2019s Kenya chapter announced the court order, saying G\u00fcng\u00f6r had been arrested over a years-old social media post, describing the case as \u201ca clear attempt at transnational repression\u201d.<\/p>\n

Mustafa G\u00fcng\u00f6r\u2019s unconditional release is a win for justice, but the fact that he was ever detained is a stain on our commitment to refugee protection. His arrest was never “right” it was a clear attempt at transnational repression triggered by foreign pressure over a years-old\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/bJz19L4t73<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Amnesty Kenya (@AmnestyKenya) February 3, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo\u011fan has been targeting followers of the G\u00fclen movement, inspired by the late Muslim cleric Fethullah G\u00fclen, since corruption investigations in December 2013 implicated him as well as some members of his family and inner circle.<\/p>\n

Dismissing the investigations as a G\u00fclenist coup and a conspiracy against his government, Erdo\u011fan began to target the movement\u2019s members. He designated the movement as a terrorist organization in May 2016 and intensified the crackdown on it following an abortive putsch in July of the same year that he accused G\u00fclen of masterminding. The movement strongly denies involvement in the coup attempt or any terrorist activity.<\/p>\n

G\u00fcng\u00f6r was\u00a0arrested<\/a>\u00a0on December 20, despite being a registered refugee in Kenya. His wife, their two daughters and his in-laws, all of whom were detained along with him, were released shortly afterwards, while he remained in custody.<\/p>\n

He was released on December 30 on a personal bond, allowing him to remain free without paying bail while court proceedings continued. The court\u2019s ruling on Tuesday lifted all remaining conditions on his release.<\/p>\n

G\u00fcng\u00f6r\u2019s case has raised concerns of refoulement following the\u00a0forcible return<\/a>\u00a0of four Turkish nationals from Kenya in 2024 despite being under the protection of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The move drew widespread criticism, including from\u00a0UN Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Since the coup attempt\u00a0Erdo\u011fan\u2019s long arm<\/a>\u00a0has reached tens of thousands of Turkish citizens abroad. From surveillance through diplomatic missions and pro-government diaspora organizations to the denial of consular services and outright intimidation and illegal renditions, the Turkish government has employed a wide range of tactics against its critics overseas. The campaign has mostly relied on renditions, in which Turkey and its National Intelligence Organization (M\u0130T) persuade other states to hand over individuals without due process. Victims of such operations have reported several human rights violations, including arbitrary arrest, torture and ill-treatment. M\u0130T has acknowledged conducting operations for the\u00a0forcible return of more than 100 people<\/a>\u00a0accused of links to the G\u00fclen movement.<\/p>\n