Turkish justice minister hails release of Rumeysa Ozturk as ‘a positive development’

By Efe Ozkan​​​​​​​

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said the release of Rumeysa Ozturk in the US is a “positive development that relieves the public conscience.”

His remarks came after a federal judge in the US state of Vermont ordered Ozturk’s release on bail. The Turkish PhD student at Tufts University in Massachusetts was arrested March 25 by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Massachusetts for co-authoring an op-ed last year about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the school’s student newspaper.

The judge said there has been "no evidence" that has been introduced by the government other than the op-ed. "The court orders the government to release Ms. Ozturk from custody immediately," he said.

“The fact that our sister Rumeysa will regain her freedom is extremely important in terms of fundamental human rights and freedom of expression,” said Tunc.

He highlighted how the ordeal has demonstrated the unacceptability of prosecuting someone for their faith and support for Palestine.

“Practices incompatible with democratic values, discrimination, marginalization, Islamophobia and double standards such as the injustice suffered by our sister Rümeysa should never be tolerated,” he said.

Tunc added that the Justice Ministry actively supported Rümeysa diplomatically and legally from the start of the process with staff personally following the hearings.