A solicitor representing a Kurdish mother and her two sons, who say they face persecution in Turkey, is to seek an explanation from the Garda today over why it allowed Turkish embassy officials to question the family last week. Carl O'Brien, Social Affairs Correspondent, reports.
Hanim Gül and her boys, Orhan (14) and Yusuf (13), were informed by the Garda National Immigration Bureau last week that they would be deported back to Turkey next month following a rejection of their plea to remain here as asylum seekers.
However, bureau officials brought them to the Turkish embassy in Dublin where Ms Gül says she was questioned on her background and the media coverage of her case in The Irish Times and other newspapers.
The family's solicitor, Colm Stanley, said he would seek an official explanation today from the Garda and the Department of Justice over its handling of the case.
"This is completely shocking to me," Mr Stanley said. "This is a very vulnerable woman and for her to be taken by force into the Turkish embassy and to be questioned by Turkish authorities is very disturbing."
He said the questioning of Ms Gül on the media coverage of her case appeared to be an attempt to intimidate her. Officials at the embassy were unavailable for comment yesterday.
Ms Gül is a member of Hadep, a pro-Kurdish political party which has been banned by the Turkish government because of its links with separatist Kurdish rebels. She says her husband has disappeared, while she has not had any contact from her brother for several months.
The Gül family have been based in Glounthaune, a village outside Cork city, for almost three years.
Community leaders, school teachers and residents there have initiated a campaign asking Minister for Justice Michael McDowell to allow the family to remain in the State.
The two boys attend local schools and are involved in the local soccer team and youth club.
Colm Twohig, trainer of the Knockraha-Leeside soccer team, said they were popular and had made great progress at school.
"They've been living here a long time and it's not fair they should be uprooted after that amount of time," he said. "The young fellow is very upset about it. He's very popular and has a lot of friends and has perfect English."
Maggie Ronayne, an academic at NUI Galway and an expert on the Kurdish area of southern Turkey, said there was a high likelihood that Ms Gül would face persecution if she returned there.
"There is extensive research to suggest there would be a serious risk to her if she returned," she said. There is a particular risk of sexual torture against failed asylum seekers.
The Garda Press Office and the Department of Justice said they were unable to comment on the matter yesterday.
The family is due to be deported to Turkey on June 16th. However, their final hope of remaining in the State may lie with a High Court challenge prepared on their behalf by Mr Stanley. He said the case was likely to be heard in the coming days.
In the meantime he would seek an explanation as to why Turkish embassy officials were allowed access to the family.
"The Turkish embassy officials made it clear that the media coverage of their case was the kind of profile that the Turkish state was keen to avoid," he said. "It's tantamount to collusion if the State is presenting people to foreign powers to allow for this kind of questioning while they are still in Ireland.