Real-life Soap Opera Drama at the Airport

turkce links to original Turkish article

(Hurriyet Newspaper, 23 November 2014)


   E.C. missed out on a great Denmark vacation.

The couple Muhammed C. (29) and Nuriye E. (30) met in
Denmark and had a son they named E.C. in 2007.  The
child was registered under the father's name at the Turkish
Embassy in Copenhagen and the family then moved to
Ankara.  Shortly afterwards, Nuriye E. decided to leave
Muhammed because he was beating her.  A case was
brought against Muhammed for 'attempted murder' (!)
and the couple began living apart.

Muhammed filed for custody of E.C. but the court awarded
custody to Nuriye on 19 November.  The following day,
Muhammed tried to kidnap the child to Denmark with the
aid of his mother Birsel C.  Nuriye learned of the plan that
morning and was able to have a judge issue an order
forbidding E.C.'s departure from Turkey.

Nuriye took the judge's decision to passport authorities who
contacted the airport in Istanbul, only to learn that the plane
was on the runway ready to take off.  Nevertheless, police
contacted the air traffic control tower and had the plane
returned to the passenger gate.

The child was taken from Muhammed and his grandmother
Birsel, and delivered to Nuriye in Ankara. The question of
how E.C. was able to be boarded for an external flight without
the permission of his legal guardian, Nuriye, is being
investigated. As for grandmother Birsel, she simply said
that "I was taking my grandson on a vacation."