US Revokes Turkish Student’s Visa Over Alleged Policy Violation<br /><br />The United States government has revoked the student visa of Turkish national Rumeysa Ozturk, citing alleged activities that exceeded the limitations of her visa status.<br /><br />Addressing the issue on Friday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that international students must comply with the terms of their visas. "If we grant you a visa for academic purposes and you engage in activities outside that scope, we will take it away," he stated.<br /><br />Ozturk, a doctoral student at Tufts University, was reportedly detained by federal agents near her off-campus residence in Somerville, Massachusetts, on Tuesday night. The 27-year-old was allegedly en route to break her Ramadan fast when she was taken into custody.<br /><br />A spokesperson for Homeland Security claimed that Ozturk had participated in activities supporting Hamas, which they argued justified the revocation of her visa. In response, Ozturk has filed a legal petition challenging her detention.<br /><br />Federal Judge Indira Talwani later issued an order preventing Ozturk from being removed from Massachusetts without prior court notification. However, it remains unclear whether authorities have adhered to this directive.<br /><br />Tufts University President Sunil Kumar acknowledged the situation, stating that the university had no prior knowledge of the detention and did not assist federal authorities in the matter.<br /><br />Ozturk had previously engaged in campus activism and co-authored an article in March criticizing Tufts University’s response to Palestinian-related concerns.
