The case of the arrest of a 56-year-old Greek woman from Crete, Agathi Markopoulou in Istanbul, is being closely monitored by Greek authorities, diplomatic sources say. As they say, the Consulate General in Istanbul has taken all the necessary steps and is in contact with her, while the necessary consular assistance is being provided to her.
It all started last Friday, when she, along with her 22-year-old daughter and a friend, went to buy scarves so that they could visit Hagia Sophia. According to the woman, she accidentally put the store owner’s cell phone in her bag, which triggered a chain of dramatic events for the family reminiscent of the “Midnight Express.”
The mother and daughter were immediately arrested and taken to the detention center. There, they slept on the floor, without having the slightest information about what was about to happen to them. “They kept shouting shut up and pushing us around,” the 56-year-old says, describing the rude and inhumane treatment they received.
Her daughter was taken to a hot spot, where she remained for three days until she was deported, leaving her mother alone in Turkey. “I didn’t know where she was or what was happening to her,”
The owner of the shop, a Turkish businessman, dropped the lawsuit, saying he believed it was a mistake, as shown by video footage in the case file. Despite this development, the 56-year-old is still stranded in Turkey, as her trial has yet to be set, a process that could take months.
Since her arrest, her life has turned into a constant shuttle between detention centers, hotspots, and courts. She plans to apply for financial bail so that she can return to Greece and await her trial at a distance. However, the Greek embassy cannot guarantee the success of this request, and the 56-year-old is seeking immediate intervention from the Greek Foreign Ministry.
Currently, the woman is alone in an Airbnb apartment in Taksim Square, paying 100 euros a night, which has left her financially drained. She is forced to move to cheaper accommodation while she hopes to find a solution to the impasse. “My daughter has returned to Greece and I am living a nightmare,” she says, appealing to the Greek authorities to take immediate action.
