DAMMAM — The Saudi Embassy in Turkey has called for a thorough investigation into reports that a Saudi family was beaten up and abused at Ataturk International Airport in Istanbul last week, Al-Hayat daily reported.
The Saudi Embassy in Ankara said it had contacted the Turkish foreign minister with regard to the incident involving the family of Abdullah Al-Munaisir.
“The embassy has contacted the Çankaya Mansion (the presidential palace) and the Council of Ministers. They have both expressed on behalf of the Turkish people their dismay and disapproval of the incident. The Turkish people were shocked by the horrific event and were extremely apologetic about it,” the embassy said in a press release obtained by Al-Hayat.
The embassy also said Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavusoglu reassured them that his government would look into the incident as “such an atrocity will not die down easily”.
“The Turkish Ministry of Interior had quickly opened an investigation and has allowed the Saudi embassy to be involved. The Saudi Consulate in Istanbul followed up with the family and made sure they arrived in Saudi Arabia safely,” the embassy statement said.
The embassy also said it expressed its gratitude for the cooperation of the Turkish government.
Al-Munaisir said the Turkish foreign minister tweeted that according to surveillance footage his eldest son had disobeyed the airport security, which led the security officers to take drastic measures last Wednesday.
“The minister said my 21-year-old son has insisted on standing in the line of the disabled and would not leave the line. He said the passport personnel had asked him in English and Turkish to leave the line as he is not disabled but my son had refused, which led the employee to call security,” said Al-Munaisir.
He said the foreign minister's claims are untrue and a second look at the footage would show the truth.
“My family had been asked by a Turkish employee of Saudi Arabian Airlines to pass to the immigration desks through the disabled people's entrance. Another employee came from the other side and began yelling at them for entering from the gate,” said Al-Munaisir.
He added his family only protested the employee's the rude behavior while speaking to them.
“That's when the security came to arrest my sons and they beat them even after they put them in detention. My sons and wife have sustained fractures and injuries and I will send the medical report to the embassy,” said Al-Munaisir.
