Kenya Confirms Deporting 4 Turkish Nationals Who Were Abducted, Reveals Next Move

The government of Kenya has admitted to deporting four Turkish nationals who were allegedly abducted on Friday last week in Nairobi, back to their home country.

In a statement, Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei revealed that the four were returned to the Turkish government on October 18, 2024.

“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,” announced the PS.

“Kenya acceded to this request on the strength of the robust historical and strategic relations anchored on bilateral instruments between our respective countries. The four have been residing in Kenya as refugees.”

Screengrabs of the individuals allegedly involved in the abduction, and a car suspected to have been used in the abduction on October 18, 2024. /BOLD

Sing’oei further noted that the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs has received assurances from the Turkish authorities that the four will be treated with dignity in keeping with national and international law.

He affirmed Kenya’s commitment to the privacy and confidentiality of the repatriated individuals and as such, he announced that the government will refrain from responding to media inquiries on the subject until the ongoing inter-agency review of the case is complete.

“Kenya assures the international community of its unswerving commitment to the protection and promotion of refugee rights as prescribed under national and international law. As such, the rights, welfare and well-being of the more than 780,000 refugees residing in the country will remain the government’s singular priority,” added the statement.

The four Turkish nationals were allegedly abducted on October 18, 2024, along with three others. While the three were eventually released, the four Turks remained in captivity.

The abducted individuals included Mustafa Genç, his son Abdullah Genç, Hüseyin Yeşilsu, Necdet Seyitoğlu, Öztürk Uzun, Alparslan Taşçı, and his wife Saadet Taşçı, all reportedly taken by unknown individuals.

Among those released were Abdullah Genç, Necdet Seyitoğlu, and Saadet Taşçı.

The quartet were abducted alongside a British national, who revealed that on the fateful day, two vehicles intercepted and blocked them from the front and behind, and then the occupants came out fully armed before pulling the risky manoeuvre.

“About eight persons armed with weapons emerged from the two vehicles, pulled out the two occupants” and drove off with them,” Police Spokesperson Resila Onyango told the media.  

Entrance to Ministry of Foreign Affairs office. /MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS