The Federal Government, on Friday, summoned the Turkish ambassador to Nigeria, Hakan Cakil, over the
detention of some Nigerian students in Istanbul by the Turkish police.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Sola Enikanolaiye, in an interview with SUNDAY PUNCH on Saturday, said the Nigerian government expected a reasonable explanation from Cakil regarding the poor treatment of the students and directed the envoy to ensure their release without delay.
Enikanolaiye stated that a Nigerian official in Ankara, Turkey had been directed to meet the Turkish government over the issue, stressing that the students must be released immediately.
He further explained that the MFA rejected some visa conditions the Turkish government imposed on the detained students.
The permanent secretary said,
“We summoned the Turkish ambassador to the ministry on Friday and demanded the immediate release of the students.
“We also rejected the condition imposed on the students that they should return to Nigeria and obtain a fresh visa in line with their admission to a new university. We insisted that they must be issued the new visa in Turkey there.”
Enikanolaiye however noted that the detained students were not up to 50 as earlier reported, adding that the government was expecting a feedback from the Nigerian mission official that was directed to follow up the issue in Ankara.
The students were said to have been held and their passports seized by the police upon arrival at Ataturk International Airport in Istanbul on Thursday.
The detention of the Nigerians, who were mainly students of Fathi University, a private university in Turkey, was believed to be in connection with the failed coup in the country in July, 2016.