Azerbaijani opposition figure and former MP Gultekin Hajibayli says she is being held at the Arnavutköy Removal Center in Istanbul and faces possible deportation to Azerbaijan under a security-related provision normally applied to foreign terror suspects.
In a statement posted on social media, Hajiyeva said four police officers arrived at her rented apartment late on November 29 and took her to the center “without any legal basis.”
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She noted that she arrived in Turkey on September 25 to visit her son, who is studying in the country, and that her permitted three-month stay has not expired. She also holds a two-year Turkish residence permit, which she says remains valid.
“I have never violated any rules during my stay here,” she wrote.
According to Hajiyeva, Turkish authorities are keeping her under Article G-82, a provision applied to foreign nationals considered a threat to public security. She claims the measure is being used to facilitate her deportation to Azerbaijan, where she fears arrest on politically motivated charges.
Her legal team has already filed an urgent application with the European Court of Human Rights and is preparing a separate appeal to Turkish courts.
Hajiyeva urged Turkish authorities to “refrain from adopting an unlawful decision under pressure from the Azerbaijani government,” stressing that she served for ten years as a member of the Azerbaijani delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and has long promoted democratic, peaceful political engagement.
“If this deportation happens, it will not only be an injustice against me,” she said, “but will also signal support for the ongoing pressure on the Azerbaijani opposition.”
She warned that deportation would lead to her arrest in Azerbaijan on what she describes as fabricated charges.
Turkish authorities have not issued a public statement regarding the case.
Hajibeyli’s name has appeared in the so-called “Ramiz Mehdiyev case,” adding a political layer to an already sensitive situation. Analysts suggest that today’s incident may signal broader pressure on Azerbaijani opposition figures residing abroad.
