US officials lack evidence against Turkish scholar

(MENAFN) A previously sealed internal memo has revealed that US authorities lacked any evidence against a Turkish scholar at Tufts University beyond an opinion article she helped write, even as steps were taken to cancel her student visa, according to newly disclosed documents.

The memo, dated March 21, 2025, and made public Thursday by a federal judge, indicates that immigration officials initiated the visa revocation process after the student, Ozturk, co-authored a commentary in a campus publication criticizing the university’s response to Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip.

The document explicitly acknowledges that Homeland Security “has not … provided any evidence showing that OZTURK has engaged in any antisemitic activity or made any public statements indicating support for a terrorist organization.”

Despite this admission, the memo notes that authorities pointed to the article’s references to pro-Palestinian student organizations, including Tufts Students for Justice in Palestine (TSJP), which had been placed under interim suspension, and language that “urged members of the Tufts community to join the student intifada.”

According to the memo, officials argued that “these activities and associations with these groups may undermine U.S. foreign policy.”

Even in the absence of any terrorism-related allegations, the document recommended revoking Ozturk’s F-1 student visa under discretionary powers, citing “the totality of the circumstances.”

The memo further stated that the revocation should be executed discreetly, without informing Ozturk, due to “ongoing ICE operational security.”

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