No Nigerian in Turkish prisons, says envoy

Reports in certain quarters that several Nigerians were serving prison terms in Turkey are false, the country’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Hakan Cakil, has said.

Although unsure about the number of Nigerians residing in Turkey, he, however, noted that about 3000 students were in Turkish higher institutions just as several others were doing well in business.

Cakil, who said his tour was to improve the Turkish-Nigeria relation in all ramifications, spoke yesterday when he visited the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Diaspora, Abike Dabiri-Erewa.
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He said: “There are approximately 3000 students studying in Turkey, though I don’t know the number of Nigerians living in the country. There are a lot of Nigerians doing well in business. There are some of them who study in Turkey and are now engineers there.

“We are really happy with their academic performances in Turkey. Some of them even won scholarship.”He admitted that two detained Nigerian students were released after undergoing litigation, adding that four others were equally released by relevant authorities.

Dabiri-Erewa, assured the envoy that Nigeria would continue to work with nations to strengthen ties and protect her citizens.“Wherever we have Nigerians in the Diaspora, we encourage them to obey the law of that land,” she added.