43 Turkish citizens ‘sent to Germany’ for workshop refused to return

A total of 43 people out of 45 sent to Germany to conduct an environmental workshop in November 2020 by the Yeşilyurt Municipality in the eastern province of Malatya have not returned, according to reports by local media.

With a mission called “Let’s not waste our future,” the group went to Germany to carry out environmental works in coordination with German officials. However, only two returned to Turkey after their project’s completion.

Yeşilyurt Mayor Mehmet Çınar said, 

We learned that they did not return. We are looking for them, too.

Some 20 out of the 43 fugitives were registered to the “environmental workshop group” from the province of Elazığ’s Akçakiraz district.

On April 16, Akçakiraz Mayor Sabahattin Kaya said, 

We did this for the sake of a friend.

He also called the fugitives as “burden” on the country.

People fleeing the Turkish Republic are a burden. They send euros to their families here. If the profit is more than loss, then I find it right and just, he said.

After the reports, the Interior Ministry launched an investigation in Malatya and suspended a deputy governor and two officials from the governor’s office.