File image of PS Korir Sing’Oei.
Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei has announced that four Turkish nationals abducted on Friday have been repatriated to their home country.
In a statement on Monday, October 21, Sing’Oei said that this was done at the request of their country.
“Kenya confirms that four Nationals of the Republic of Türkiye were repatriated to their home country on Friday, 18 October 2024, at the request of the government of Türkiye.
“Kenya acceded to this request on the strength of the robust historical and strategic relations anchored on bilateral instruments between our respective countries,” read the statement in part.
According to PS Sing’Oei, Kenya received assurances from the Turkish authorities that the four will be treated with dignity in keeping with national and international law
“Kenya is committed to the privacy and confidentiality of the repatriated individuals and will refrain from responding to media inquiries on the subject until the ongoing inter-agency review of the case is complete,” he stated.
Further, Sing’Oei assured the international community of Kenya’s unswerving commitment to the protection and promotion of refugee rights as prescribed under national and international law.
This comes after the four Turkish refugees were abducted in the Kileleshwa, Karen, and Upper Hill areas of Nairobi on Friday morning.
The victims are believed to be asylum seekers connected to the Gülen Movement, opposing President Erdoğan’s regime.
The abductees were registered with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and protected from forcible return to Turkey, where they claimed they faced threats to their lives and freedom.
Amnesty International Kenya and the International Commission of Jurists condemned the incident and called on the Kenyan government to take action.
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