PUBLIC STATEMENT

Unlawful Detention of Our Association’s Employees!

Humanitarian Aid Volunteers Cannot Be Obstructed! In the Central African Republic, our association is constructing two fully equipped mosques the Türkiye Emin Alper Mosque and the Abdulkadir Geylani Mosque each with a total area of 500 square meters and designed to accommodate 400 worshippers simultaneously for the benefit of the local Muslim community. To oversee the inspection and monitoring processes of these projects and to distribute aid to those in need in the region, our staff members Eyyüp Kaymaz and Veysel Özyapıcı, together with our volunteer İlhan Tatlı, traveled from Istanbul to the Central African Republic on Saturday, September 13. After completing their fieldwork, on Wednesday, September 17, as they were preparing to return from the Central African Republic to Istanbul, they were, for reasons unknown, delayed and taken into custody at the airport. They were then transferred to the Port à mon Police Station in Bangui, near the airport, where their statements were taken. Despite their statements being recorded and no charges being brought against them, they have been kept in detention for four consecutive days without justification in a holding cell under the lowest possible conditions, together with local prisoners. Unfortunately, diplomatic efforts have so far not yielded a positive outcome, and no official information has been shared with us. At this point, we urgently call upon Central African Republic President Faustin-Archange Touadéra and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sylvie Baipo-Temon to intervene immediately in this process and put an end to this unlawful situation.