Kenya Arrests Turkish Asylum Seeker, Family With Deportation On Cards
A Turkish employee in Kenya was held at 12 a.m. on December 21, along with his family, on suspicion of being affiliated with the Gülen movement in Turkey, and faces deportation.
According to allegations, Turkish authorities ordered the incarceration of Mustafa Güngör, as recognized by Amnesty International Kenya.
They requested his detention through a mutual legal assistance arrangement with the Attorney General’s office.
Amnesty stated in their notice on Sunday that he was booked by the DCI’s Anti-Terror Police Unit under OB 02 on December 21, 2025. This is the third detention of Turkish nationals in Kenya.
🚨 URGENT ACTION: FEAR OF REFOULEMENT IN KENYA
— Amnesty Kenya (@AmnestyKenya) December 20, 2025
Amnesty International is deeply concerned that Mustafa Güngör who was arrested with his wife Zeliha, daughters Seniha Betül and Zeynep, and his in-laws Zümrüt and Salim is at serious risk of refoulement to Türkiye, where he could be… pic.twitter.com/fglE3Ufb9N
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has targeted the Gülen movement, inspired by preacher Fethullah Gülen, since 2013 due to graft investigations involving members of his cabinet.
Erdoğan labeled the movement as a terror organization and increased a crackdown after a failed coup attempt in 2016, claiming it was orchestrated by Gülen, something the movement disputes.
Since the 2016 coup attempt, Turkey has been accused of chasing dissidents overseas using a variety of measures, including surveillance, intimidation, and unlawful renditions.
Victims of these operations have complained about arbitrary detention, torture, and other human rights breaches.
The Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MİT) has acknowledged forcibly returning over 100 individuals accused of Gülen-related activities.
According to his LinkedIn profile, the employee had worked as an IT manager for Light Academy Schools in Kenya since December 2011.
Mustafa Güngör, a #Turkish refugee residing in #Kenya, was detained with his family and is at serious risk of refoulement to Turkey, @AmnestyKenya said in a social media post on Sunday.
— Turkish Minute (@TurkishMinuteTM) December 21, 2025
Güngör was arrested together with his wife Zeliha, their two daughters and his in-laws, and… https://t.co/b30xGIMoUc
Details from Amnesty International indicate he has a refugee card issued in December 2024.
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Amnesty stated that he, along with his wife and two children, faces the risk of deportation and could be subjected to torture if returned.
“The Turkish citizen is at serious risk of refoulement to Türkiye, where he could be subjected to arbitrary detention, torture, or ill-treatment,” Amnesty Kenya stated in a post.
Forcing a refugee to return to a country where they may face persecution was a practice prohibited under international law and Kenya’s 2021 Refugee Act.
Turkish Refugees Abducted
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) October 19, 2024
Family of four among seven Turkish refugees abducted on Friday
Turkish refugees abducted by armed men at gunpoint
Abductors claimed to be security officials in Kenya#CitizenWeekend@OBurrows pic.twitter.com/wvRAHsoaHa
In October 2024, four Turkish nationals who were residing in Kenya as refugees were repatriated to Turkey, despite UN protections, drawing widespread criticism, including from UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
Kenya Arrests Turkish Asylum Seeker, Family With Deportation On Cards
