Washington: The Turkish Embassy in Washington, DC announced that it is closely monitoring the detention of Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish Ph.D. student at Tufts University and Fulbright scholar, who was arrested by US immigration authorities.
According to Anadolu Agency, the embassy has communicated with the US State Department, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and other relevant authorities regarding Ozturk’s situation. The embassy’s statement emphasized that they are keeping Ozturk’s family informed and are working to provide the necessary consular services and legal support to defend her rights.
Ozturk was detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Tuesday evening near her residence in Somerville, Massachusetts, as she was on her way to an iftar dinner during Ramadan. Her lawyer, Mahsa Khanbabai, stated that she was apprehended by masked federal agents, accused of supporting the Palestinian group Hamas-a claim that her family and supporters adamantly refute.
Despite the serious nat
ure of the accusations, no formal charges have been filed against Ozturk, her lawyer reported. A video that has circulated widely online shows the arrest, capturing the moment when masked agents handcuffed her, though she did not resist.
Ozturk’s arrest comes in the wake of a campaign by Canary Mission, a pro-Israel website known for blacklisting pro-Palestinian students and activists. In 2024, Ozturk co-authored an opinion piece in The Tufts Daily urging Tufts University to recognize what she termed the Palestinian genocide and to divest from companies linked to Israel.
The ICE Locator website has revealed that Ozturk is currently being held at a detention facility in Louisiana.