Afghan mother's son kidnapped by Turkish father in occupied Cyprus

The Afghan mother, residing in the government-controlled areas after seeking political asylum, has condemned the abduction of her 3-year-old son by his Turkish father in the northern occupied territories.

As reported on the front page of the online newspaper Bugün Kıbrıs, Martina M., an Afghan national, and Cihan Ayildiz, originally from Turkey, moved to the occupied territories a year ago with their son in hopes of starting anew. Their marriage had faced rejection from Ayildiz's family in Turkey.

Subsequently, Martina and her son fled to the southern part of the island and sought asylum. According to Bugün Kıbrıs, shortly after they were transferred from a refugee center to a family home, Ayildiz took their son to a park on May 12th and disappeared, allegedly pressured by his family to return the child through the occupied areas to Turkey.

Ayildiz was arrested in the occupied territories for illegally entering the self-declared state from the government-controlled areas. Meanwhile, their 3-year-old son, Emirjian, was placed under the care of the Department of Social Services and enrolled in a kindergarten. Martina has been separated from her child for approximately two months, despite appealing to the Republic's authorities and the bicommunal Commission on crime and criminality, as reported.

The child remains separated from his mother pending a decision from the director of the Department of Social Services, who acts as his guardian. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Cyprus is also monitoring the situation closely. Martina, speaking to Bugün Kıbrıs, tearfully expressed her anguish, saying, "My child only eats breast milk. I have been away from him for two months. We have spoken on the phone twice. He cries and says, 'Mum, call me.' I want my child. I cannot live without him; I will die."

The newspaper further reports that a court in the occupied territories is scheduled to discuss the case of Ayildiz's deportation on August 14th. Martina fears that a deportation order could lead Ayildiz to leave the island with their child, disappearing without trace. She urgently appeals for assistance in reuniting with her son.

[Information sourced from CNA]