Türkiye Revokes Citizenship of Muslim Brotherhood Leader

Joint press conference of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Cairo (Egyptian Presidency)
Joint press conference of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Cairo (Egyptian Presidency)
TT

Türkiye Revokes Citizenship of Muslim Brotherhood Leader

Joint press conference of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Cairo (Egyptian Presidency)
Joint press conference of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Cairo (Egyptian Presidency)

Türkiye has revoked the citizenship of Muslim Brotherhood’s Istanbul faction acting leader Mahmoud Hussein.

The government canceled his and his wife’s passports due to violating the conditions of their citizenship.

Sources affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood in Türkiye revealed that the government, following Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent visit to Egypt, also revoked the citizenship of 50 other top officials.

Investigations revealed they had tampered with the conditions of their permits.

In 2022, the Turkish government approved a law granting citizenship in exchange for purchasing a property valued at over $400,000 or depositing amounts in Turkish banks, provided that the real estate or deposits are not disposed of before three years. The property can only be resold to a Turkish citizen.

The law allowed tens of thousands of Arabs and foreigners to buy real estate.

However, it sparked anger among the Turkish opposition, which accused the government of insulting the Turkish passport by granting it in exchange for money to increase the number of votes for the ruling Justice and Development Party.

Over 300,000 Syrians and several Muslim Brotherhood leaders from Egypt were granted exceptional nationalities.

The law has been exploited by some offices and companies that finalize citizenship transactions to commit violations and manipulate the sale of citizenship.

Last May, pressure from the Turkish opposition during the presidential and parliamentary elections prompted the authorities to review the conditions of residents and those holding citizenship.

Sources said that several Egyptians, Syrians, and Russians formed networks that violated the conditions for obtaining citizenship. They explained that the Muslim Brotherhood leader violated the citizenship law.

Hussein obtained the passport after presenting the property as evidence for his wife’s citizenship file, as she resides in the same property. He then sold the property to another foreign citizen, who used it to obtain his citizenship.

Sources close to Hussein told Asharq Al-Awsat that the authorities informed him of the decision without providing reasons.

Brotherhood officials are discussing the issue with the Turkish Presidency and the ruling Justice and Development Party.

Since the start of negotiations to normalize relations with Egypt and entering an advanced stage in 2021, leading to the culmination of these efforts with Erdogan’s visit to Cairo last week, the Turkish authorities imposed restrictions on Brotherhood leaders.

They prevented them from making media statements against Egypt and the Gulf states.

Türkiye also imposed restrictions on the Muslim Brotherhood’s mouthpiece channels, which for about ten years have continued to attack the political leadership and Egyptian authorities and incite violence.

Many of the leaders and workers in these channels left Türkiye, and some channels relocated to London.

After the first meeting between Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Erdogan in Doha in late 2022, the Turkish authorities tightened restrictions on granting nationalities and scrutinizing the open residency campaign.

Authorities rejected the citizenship requests of individuals convicted of terrorism cases in Egypt.

Restrictions were tightened significantly after the two countries exchanged ambassadors last year.

Egyptian-Turkish relations entered a new phase after Erdogan visited Cairo, where it was agreed to establish a high-level strategic cooperation council.

During the visit, the two countries signed several agreements and memorandums of understanding, including revitalizing economic and trade cooperation and raising the exchange volume to $15 billion.

Sisi is also scheduled to visit Ankara next April or May.



Man Killed in Rocket Attack on Israel’s Nahariya

People stand near a hole at the impact site, after Israel's medical services said a man was killed, when shrapnel from a rocket struck a playground in Nahariya, Israel, November 21, 2024. REUTERS/Thomas Peter
People stand near a hole at the impact site, after Israel's medical services said a man was killed, when shrapnel from a rocket struck a playground in Nahariya, Israel, November 21, 2024. REUTERS/Thomas Peter
TT

Man Killed in Rocket Attack on Israel’s Nahariya

People stand near a hole at the impact site, after Israel's medical services said a man was killed, when shrapnel from a rocket struck a playground in Nahariya, Israel, November 21, 2024. REUTERS/Thomas Peter
People stand near a hole at the impact site, after Israel's medical services said a man was killed, when shrapnel from a rocket struck a playground in Nahariya, Israel, November 21, 2024. REUTERS/Thomas Peter

A 30-year-old man was killed by rocket shrapnel next to a playground in the northern Israeli town of Nahariya on Thursday, Israel's MDA medical service said.
The Israeli military said about 10 rockets had been launched from Lebanon towards Nahariya. "Most of the projectiles were intercepted and fallen projectiles were identified," the army said in a statement.
Channel 12 said three rockets hit the coastal town.
Air sirens went off in a number of locations across northern Israel during the morning, but it was not immediately clear how many missiles had been launched from Lebanon.
"The Israeli government is not safeguarding my security, my residents or the residents of the north (of Israel). It is not possible to live in such a situation like this," Nahariya Mayor Ronen Marelly told public broadcaster Kan.
"We are being attacked (by Hezbollah) in a massive way with great force," he said.
The Israeli military has inflicted huge devastation in Lebanon since it went on the offensive against Hezbollah in September, mounting airstrikes across wide parts of the country and sending in troops.

The Israeli military said Wednesday three soldiers, including a 70-year-old, were killed in south Lebanon.

The army announced two soldiers were killed in the same incident including 70-year-old reservist Ze'ev 'Jabo' Hanoch Erlich, after it had said earlier Wednesday that a 22-year-old soldier from Jerusalem "fell during combat in southern Lebanon”

The deaths bring to 52 the army's losses in Lebanon since the start of ground operations.

Another soldier was heavily injured during the same incident that killed the two soldiers including Erlich, the military said, adding he had been taken to hospital.