RIYADH — A Saudi father has accused security officers at Istanbul international airport of physically assaulting his wife and children. The family was in the Turkish city to spend their summer vacation. “When we arrived at the airport, I left my wife, three sons and two daughters to go through the passport check," said the Saudi father who was only identified by his initials E.M. “When I came back I couldn't find my wife and three sons. Instead, I found another Saudi woman sitting with my young daughters,” he said. He said the woman told him that security officers at the airport had assaulted his wife and sons and then had taken them away. “She told me a Turkish officer came out from behind his desk and yelled unintelligible words at my wife,” he said. “He marched toward my wife with seven other men and pushed her on the ground and began beating her.” He added that he did not understand what was going on and his wife was innocent from whatever crime they think she was involved in. “My three sons had to interfere to save their mother and tried to push the seven men off her,” the father said. “Then they began assaulting my sons as well and took them all away. I asked the officers where my wife and sons were and they refused to answer me.” Eventually E.M. was told his wife had been detained at the airport's jail, where he claimed she was tortured again. “She crumpled on the floor and was shaking with terror,” he said. “They refused to let me see my sons. I learned that they detained my eldest son and beat him until he threw up.” E.M. said the officers took his two younger sons to a juvenile prison. “I called the Saudi Embassy in Ankara and they sent a lawyer and translator to the airport,” he said. “They told me to calm down while they inquired about the incident. My family stayed in detention for a day and a half, then they were deported to Saudi Arabia.” Once in the Kingdom, E.M. took his wife and children to King Saudi Medical City, where he said doctors told him that his wife had fractured two of her fingers and her leg and sustained a head injury. One of his sons also sustained a fractured nose. Saudi Ambassador in Turkey Adel Merdad said the embassy contacted E.M. to investigate the case. “We will not take the incident lightly and we will not tolerate such abuse against Saudi nationals abroad,” Merdad said. “The embassy has already been in contact with the Turkish authorities and they are investigating the case, expressing their disapproval of the officers' act.”
