Turkish mother reunites with daughter 7 years after deportation from Germany

ISTANBUL

Elif Yaman was given to a German foster family at the age of 12 and removed from the care of her mother, who was unemployed. DHA photo / ZAFER TOKUS

Elif Yaman and her mother, Ayşe Yaman, were reunited yesterday in the northwestern district of Sakarya, after the two spent seven years apart following Ayşe’s deportation to Turkey from Germany.

Elif was given to a German foster family at the age of 12 and removed from the care of her mother, who was unemployed.

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ reportedly made a move to reunite the two by recommending the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB) help make initial contact between the daughter and her mother.

Elif and Ayşe recently met in the Sakarya province of Turkey for the second time since they were separated in Germany seven years ago. The two first met in Dortmund in 2010, together with the girl’s foster family.

Elif said there were many Turkish children staying with German foster families.

“I am sad that I could not speak Turkish well and could not stay with a Turkish foster family. There is a political problem beyond my situation, but the media’s interest is pleasing,” she said on Jan. 30 after meeting her mother in Sakarya.