After the natural disaster that occurred on February 6 in Turkey, Turkmen activists living in this country, THF and others turned to Turkish NGOs and migration services for assistance in identifying and clarifying the number of victims, for assistance to the affected Turkmens, etc. They also conveyed numerous requests from relatives of people held in deportation centers calling for the release of Turkmens from deportation camps.

As it became known, today dozens of Turkmens were released from several centers. According to consultants from companies involved in helping migrants, as well as messages from citizens on social networks, 40 Turkmen and several dozen more from Hatay, Adana, Ankara, Malata and others were released from Shanlyurfa, where 170 people were held. People who have left the camps share information on social networks that Turkmen who were previously held there for more than 2 months have been released from deportation centers. According to unconfirmed reports, more migrants may be released next week.

Today, Turkish authorities issued an urgent message that foreigners who have previously applied for asylum can approach the migration departments for permission to leave the cities where they applied. The permit is valid for 90 days, but does not apply to the city of Istanbul.

The document specifically emphasizes that if the authorities detain a refugee applicant from the affected city in another locality without the appropriate permission, the migrant will be taken to the local migration office, where, after submitting an application, he will be able to receive the appropriate document.

Turkmen Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights