Sinem Nazlı Demir
Cansu Badur, who had been seeking help to return to Turkey from the house in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, where she was subjected to violence, was brought to Turkey on Saturday, October 31, 2026. Her return was secured through the initiatives of the Turkish Embassy in Kabul.
After reaching out to Cansu and her family in Turkey, their experiences were brought to the public's attention on 12punto on April 12. In the following months, diplomatic contacts and pleas for help regarding the ongoing violence were reported. During the process, in which communication with Cansu and initiatives before the authorities were maintained, the issue was also brought to the parliamentary agenda. The months-long wait for her return ended on October 31.
SHE WAS LURED TO AFGHANISTAN WITH THE PROMISE OF GETTING HER MONEY BACK
According to the account of her brother Alican Badur, who spoke to 12punto, Cansu met Abdul Varsi Ndori at the textile workshop where she worked in Sultangazi, Istanbul. Ndori borrowed 80 thousand liras from Cansu, which she had inherited from her father, but did not pay it back.
The family stated that Ndori, who was deported from Turkey in 2022, lured Cansu to Afghanistan by promising to return the money. They stated that after Cansu went to Kabul, she was forced into marriage through the pressure and violence of Ndori and his family, and was subsequently unable to return to Turkey.
SHE TOOK REFUGE IN THE EMBASSY IN FEBRUARY, HER DEPARTURE WAS BLOCKED IN MARCH
According to her family, Cansu escaped from the house where she was subjected to violence at the end of February 2026 and reached the Turkish Embassy in Kabul. She was placed in a hotel and return procedures were initiated. However, she could not use the flight ticket purchased for March 4 because the procedures were not completed.
When Cansu went to the airport again on March 6, she was prevented from leaving the country on the grounds that there was an exit ban due to a complaint by Ndori. Her brother explained that Taliban officials handed Cansu over to Ndori; after that, her phone was broken, they could not reach her for a while, and the violence increased.
CANSU WAS REACHED, HER LOCATION WAS REPORTED TO AUTHORITIES
Following the failed attempt to return, Cansu's plea for help was reflected on social media. First, communication was established with her brother Alican Badur. Then, a video call with Cansu was planned, taking into account the conditions she was in.
To ensure the call could take place, communication was established through her brother as an old acquaintance from the neighborhood. During the call, which took place at 02:31 on April 12, Afghanistan time, direct questions about the violence and captivity were not asked in order not to endanger Cansu's safety. The conversation was conducted in a way that could be seen as an ordinary chat from the outside.
With this contact and the subsequent information-gathering work, Cansu's location was determined and reported to the authorities. In the interview with her brother, the family's concern for their safety and their demand for a return to Turkey were put on record. With the news published on April 12, Cansu's experiences and her family's plea for help were brought to the public's attention.
DIPLOMATIC CONTACTS ESTABLISHED AFTER THE NEWS
In the follow-up news published on the same day, it was reported that CHP Şanlıurfa Deputy Mahmut Tanal had met with Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials. It was stated that officials from the Kabul Embassy also called the family and informed them that contact had been established with the Afghan Ministry of Interior.
In the news dated April 13, it was announced that Taliban officials had contacted her in line with the new conversation held with Cansu. However, at this stage, the contacts had not yet resulted in a return. The wait for Cansu and her family continued.
COMMUNICATION AND NEWS FOLLOW-UP CONTINUED FOR MONTHS
After the first news, communication with Cansu was not abandoned; her situation was followed at every stage where she could be reached, and her requests for help were conveyed to the authorities.
Applications were made to the Presidential Communication Center (CİMER) twice to ensure Cansu's safety and her return to Turkey. In addition, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was contacted regularly to convey Cansu's situation and the developments, and the request for intervention was reiterated.
Throughout the process on 12punto, new information was reported, and Cansu's plea for help was kept on the agenda. After diplomatic contacts were established, it was followed up whether the return had taken place.
THE FOOTAGE SHE SENT IN SEPTEMBER REVEALED THE DANGER AGAIN
Unable to leave Afghanistan despite the passing months, Cansu sent new footage to 12punto in September. In the news published on September 26, footage was shared showing Cansu locking herself in the bathroom of the house to protect herself from violence, while Ndori was forcing the door to get inside.
Following this development, a call for urgent intervention was reiterated by 12punto to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Kabul Embassy. It was demanded that Cansu's safety be ensured, that she be removed from the house where she was subjected to violence, and that she be brought to Turkey.
THE NEWS WAS BROUGHT TO THE PARLIAMENTARY AGENDA
Following the pleas for help, Cansu's situation also became the subject of written parliamentary questions. DEM Party Şanlıurfa Deputy Dilan Kunt Ayan asked 11 questions to Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan in her motion dated September 29. She asked why Cansu's return to Turkey could not be ensured and whether there was any confirmation regarding her safety.
In the news published on October 1, it was reported that DEM Party Diyarbakır Deputy Sevilay Çelenk had asked five questions to Fidan, citing 12punto's news.
Çelenk asked when the Ministry became aware of the incident, what steps it had taken, and what the procedures were that prevented Cansu's return. Whether contact had been established with Cansu after the new footage, and what kind of plan was being implemented to ensure her safety and return were also brought up in the motion.
BROUGHT TO TURKEY WITH THE INITIATIVES OF THE KABUL EMBASSY
Following her escape from violence to the Embassy, the blocking of her departure at the airport, the help videos, and the questions brought to Parliament, Cansu's return to Turkey was secured.
Cansu Badur, whose situation has been followed on 12punto since April, was brought to Turkey on Saturday, October 31, through the initiatives of the Turkish Embassy in Kabul. Thus, the return request that Cansu and her family had been voicing for months was answered.
After returning to Turkey, Cansu, who has started spending time with her family, is now in the process of recovery after what she has been through.
News Source: 12punto
