Uyghur Couple Arrested in Istanbul Freed After 10 Days of Detention

By Uyghur Post, January 24

According to information verified by Uyghur Post, at midnight on January 13, 2026, Turkish police detained a Uyghur migrant couple living in the Safaköy district of Istanbul: 48-year-old Abdulkadir and his 47-year-old wife, Hedije.

According to information provided by their children, armed police raided their home late at night and took both husband and wife away without presenting any arrest warrant. This sudden raid left the family’s three daughters in a state of extreme fear and helplessness.

After the news was first shared by Uyghur activist Ihsan Xukran, it quickly spread widely. Ihsan reported that the couple was held in detention for a total of ten days on suspicion of being a “security risk.” About seven hours after information about their case began circulating online, they were released. Their release suggests that they were innocent and had been unjustly detained for ten days.

Mr. Abdulkadir had previously been imprisoned in Thailand for nearly four years before arriving in Türkiye in 2019 after enduring many hardships. He has been living legally in Türkiye with a residence permit and was supporting his family by working as a motorcycle repairman. It is reported that both detainees are in very poor health, suffering from severe lung disease and arthritis. At present, there is no clear information about the specific reason for their detention or where they were taken during custody.

In recent months, the Turkish government has detained many Uyghurs on the grounds of immigration status, security markings placed on their identity records, and vague security suspicions. Uyghur Post has previously interviewed relevant individuals and published reports on this issue.