The family of a Turkish university director here is concerned over his safety after immigration officers arrested him on Dec 13, despite him having a valid social visitors pass.

Ismet Oszelic, 59, was charged on Dec 23, for purportedly using criminal force on a public officer after he and his son tried to call the police on the immigration officers seizing his passport.

Ismet, who is a director of the Mavlana University in Konya, Turkey, has been in the country from August last year with a valid pass that lasts until November this year, with his PhD holder son.

However, following his arrest, the immigration cancelled Ismet's pass and the family fears that this may trigger his deportation.

To make matters worse, in a letter addressed to the magistrate and sighted by Malaysiakini, law firm Lee Hishammuddin Allen and Gledhill, which is representing Ismet, claimed that he is being prevented from taking his heart medication at the Sungai Buloh prison, where he is being held since his arrest, and they are worried over his health.

It is understood that the proceeding of the case will be held today before a High Court in Kuala Lumpur.

Ismet's family posted bail of RM4,000 on Wednesday but are concerned that the authorities may object an order to release him, or possibly rearrest and deport him to Turkey.

In the said letter dated yesterday, the law firm had expressed concerns that Ismet may meet a similar fate as two other Turkish nationals who were teachers at an international school here, who allegedly went missing last year and were deported back to Turkey with the help of Malaysian authorities.

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has imposed a clampdown following a failed coup against him in July last year and this saw over 82,000 arrests and more than 2,000 universities and colleges linked to Fethullah Gulen, an imam and political figure who Erdogan said was responsible for the coup attempt, have been closed.

Fethullah is now in the United States.

According to lawyer Muhd Faizal Fasani, he briefed magistrate Siti Radziah Kamarudin and the DPP involved over what had transpired when Ismet's social visit pass was cancelled a day after the arrest on Dec 13.

Following this, the magistrate was willing to let Ismet have his passport for several days to enable him to renew his pass with immigration and will release him on bail after the pass is renewed.

Siti Radziah also held that Ismet needs to get the director-general of Immigration to re-evaluate the visitor's pass and verify why they had invalidated it.

“If it is at the request of the Turkish embassy, then he has to find out the grounds. If the pass is renewed, then Ismet can be released on bail,” she said.

According to Muhd Faizal, Ismet will have to remain in Sungai Buloh prison until all this is done.