Israel has granted asylum to Türkü Avcı, a young Turkish woman who moved to Israel and was sued by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over her outspoken support for the Jewish state, Mako reported Tuesday.
Israel's Advisory Committee on Refugees approved her request, determining that her pro-Israel activism and the threats she has received over her views could put her in danger if she returns to Turkey. The director general of the Population and Immigration Authority adopted the decision and granted her refugee status, which will be reviewed in about a year.
The decision comes roughly three months after Erdogan filed a lawsuit against her.
Avcı first came to Israel in 2021 to study at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. After the October 7 massacre, she began posting in defense of Israel on social media, drawing the attention of Turkish authorities, who accused her of insulting Erdogan. The fallout left her stranded. She told Israel Hayom last year that she feared arrest if she went home, and that the family who had been paying her tuition cut off their support. On a student visa, she could not legally work.
Refugee status changes that.
"I feel enormous relief, because for a long time I couldn't sleep," Avcı told Mako. "The most important thing for me is that now I'll be able to work in Israel and enjoy the rights that come with it. I want to focus on my studies and make the most of the privilege I've been given to be in Israel."
