Ruhtan Başkaya detained in China during educational seminar

Ruhtan Başkaya, a retired colonel and municipal council member for the Fethiye Municipality in Turkey, has reportedly been detained in China for approximately two months. Başkaya traveled to China to participate in the ‘BRI Countries Governance Capacity Building Seminar,’ an educational program organized by a Chinese university that included approximately 40 participants from various countries.

Fethiye Municipality issued a statement clarifying that the trip was funded entirely by China, incurring no costs for the municipality or the Turkish state. The municipality described the situation as a ‘personal and isolated’ matter, emphasizing that it has no connection to the institution's corporate structure or the other seminar participants.

While the specific reasons for the detention remain unknown, the municipality noted that Chinese authorities are currently conducting a sensitive investigation. The statement added that the allegations against Başkaya have not yet reached the judicial stage and no final legal verdict has been issued. The process is being monitored in consultation with the Turkish Embassy in Beijing.