Esengül Arslan - 23-year-old nursing student who was arrested

◾23-year-old nursing student Esengül Arslan has been in detention since June 1, 2024.

◾She was taken into custody during one of the unlawful operations praised by Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, who proudly stated, “We arrested 90 FETO members.”

++EVIDENCE INCLUDED IN HER FILE:++ Small amounts of money sent by her relatives from abroad as pocket money. Giving private lessons to some students. Living in the same house with the children of people who have been dismissed from the government.

++THE CHARGES AGAINST HER:++ Membership in a terrorist organization (minimum sentence 6 years and 3 months) She has been detained since June 1, and she is one of the 1,420 prisoners in Bakırköy Prison, which has a capacity of 500.

◾Esengül Arslan, a third-year student at the Cerrahpaşa Florence Nightingale Nursing Faculty, lost two academic terms due to her arrest.

◾Esengül Arslan’s father, Aziz Arslan, a class teacher dismissed under the state of emergency decree (KHK), was sentenced to 10 years in prison for allegedly depositing money into Bank Asya and working at closed institutions. He has been in prison since 2018.

◾Gülizar Arslan, Esengül’s mother, shared: “Since my husband is also in detention, my daughter was helping us. She worked in stores, gave math and Turkish lessons to 2nd and 3rd graders, and even helped with house cleaning. I also took care of a bedridden woman for 6 years. Our house in Malatya was destroyed in the earthquake. I am staying with my mother in the village in Adıyaman. There is no home, no shelter. I am on my way to my daughter’s trial. My husband is also detained in Malatya Akçadağ.”

◾Esengül Arslan’s brother, Ömer Arslan, shared on Twitter (@omrasll): 📍 “I sent the alleged money to my sister. Because my sister is a student, not a terrorist!”

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Esengül Arslan was released on February 13, 2025.

Announcing Arslan’s release on his social media account, Member of Parliament Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu said, “Finally! She was released today. Esengül Arslan was a nursing student at Cerrahpaşa, working at night and surviving on only 3-4 hours of sleep. Her father was imprisoned, and her mother’s house was destroyed in the earthquake. She was arrested just because her brother sent her some pocket money and spent 9 months in prison for no reason. She lost two academic years!”

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Sources:

kronos

tr724

stockholmcf

kronos