Leaders of major opposition parties in Turkey have spoken out against the detention of a Turkish university student by US immigration authorities and called for her immediate release.
Rumeysa Öztürk, 30, a doctoral student at Tufts University, was detained by federal agents late Tuesday in Somerville, Massachusetts, the university’s president said in a statement.
According to the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s online detainee locator system, Öztürk is being held at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Basile, Louisiana.
Her detention is the latest action against a foreign student involved in pro-Palestinian campus activism as President Donald Trump intensifies his crackdown on the movement.
Öztürk co-authored an article in university student newspaper The Tufts Daily in March 2024 criticizing the college’s handling of student anger sparked by Israel’s war in Gaza.
Öztürk “engaged in activities in support of Hamas,” a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said Wednesday in a statement without specifying what those alleged activities were.
Although Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is known as an outspoken critic of the Israeli actions in Gaza and has had a close relationship with Trump, neither he nor any official from his government has publicly spoken out against the detention of Öztürk.
US accused of hypocrisy
Özgür Özel, leader of Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), criticized the detention on X, saying that the world is becoming increasingly “unlivable” due to the recklessness of leaders who act as if their decisions are absolute.
He compared Öztürk’s detention to that of hundreds of students in Turkey whom, he said, were unjustly imprisoned for protesting the country’s “March 19 coup against democracy,” referring to the detention and subsequent arrest of İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu on what many say politically motivated charges.
Özel urged the Turkish government to take diplomatic action with the Trump administration for Öztürk’s release and called for the release of all imprisoned students in Turkey.
“End this injustice!” he wrote.
Ali Babacan, leader of the opposition Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA) Party, also condemned the Trump administration in a statement on X. He said people who lecture others on democracy fail the test when it comes to Palestine.
“I strongly condemn the detention of Rumeysa Öztürk simply for speaking out on Gaza. Supporting Palestine is not a crime; it is a moral duty,” Babacan wrote.
Ahmet Davutoğlu, leader of the opposition Future [Gelecek] Party, also criticized the US government’s actions and called on civil society to raise their voices for the student’s freedom.
“The US, which often preaches human rights to others, must be held accountable for this backward policy,” he said, calling on politicians, writers and civil society organizations to rally behind the cause for Öztürk’s freedom.
Öztürk, a recipient of the prestigious Fulbright scholarship, was reportedly listed on Canary Mission, a pro-Israel website that tracks and publicly shares personal information of students involved in pro-Palestinian activism. She had participated in student protests at Tufts University and had written articles criticizing Israel’s attacks on Gaza.
Diplomatic efforts
Turkey’s embassy in Washington, D.C., said it was closely monitoring Öztürk’s situation and maintaining contact with her family.
“Initiatives have been made with the US Department of State, Immigration and Customs Enforcement Unit and other authorized units,” the Turkish Embassy said on X, on Wednesday. “Every effort is being made to provide the necessary consular services and legal support to protect the rights of our citizens.”
The Turkish Foreign Ministry also said in a statement on Thursday that it was closely following Öztürk’s situation and updating her family on the developments.
Öztürk was enrolled in a PhD program at Tufts University on a valid F-1 visa, which allows international students to pursue full-time academic studies. Her university has been informed that her visa status has been terminated, according to CNN.