Turkey has moved to deport Azerbaijani opposition figure and former lawmaker Gültekin Hacıbeyli after detaining her in İstanbul last Saturday, the Karar news website reported.
Azerbaijani authorities informed Ankara that Hacıbeyli is accused of supporting a coup attempt, prompting Turkish authorities to classify her as a “foreign national posing a threat to national security” and to initiate deportation procedures. She was taken to a repatriation center in Arnavutköy, İstanbul.
She was reportedly in Turkey to visit her son, who is studying in İstanbul.
In a public statement Hacıbeyli said she entered Turkey on September 25 and that her three-month visa-free stay has not yet expired.
“This [deportation] decision would not only be an injustice against me but would also amount to supporting the pressure on the Azerbaijani opposition,” she said. “I hope Turkey refrains from carrying out an unlawful deportation.”
Her lawyer said they have filed an appeal against the deportation decision. Turkish authorities have not issued any official statements regarding the case.
