Cavusoglu calls Turkish student denied internship in Sweden over NATO bid

Following an exclusive story by TRT World, Türkiye's Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlut Cavusoglu has called the Turkish student, who was denied an internship programme by a Stockholm University professor.

In a telephone conversation on Monday, Cavusoglu commended Fatma Zehra S. for handling the situation with dignity in the face of "injustice" committed by Professor Per Carlbring.

"The injustice done to you has been talked about all over Türkiye. I wanted to call specifically. First of all, I would like to thank you very much for your steadfast stance and your dignity," Cavusoglu was quoted as telling Fatma in a video clip, which he posted on Twitter. 

Last year, Fatma expressed her interest in a research project led by Carlbring. But he quickly turned down her application, telling her in an email, “Turkey does not allow Sweden to join NATO, I have to decline. Sorry!”

In his post, Cavusoglu slammed the professor's discriminatory move and told Fatma that while he was saddened by the news he was proud of how she handled it.

"Our stance against racism, xenophobia and discrimination is clear!" Cavusoglu wrote.

"The incident that our daughter Zehra encountered at a Swedish university is a bad example of education being used as an instrument in politics."

The issue has added a new strain to diplomatic relations between Türkiye and Sweden, as the two countries try to negotiate Stockholm's NATO membership.

Finland and Sweden formally applied to join NATO in May, abandoning decades of military non-alignment, a decision spurred by Russia’s war against Ukraine.

But Türkiye – a NATO member for over 70 years – voiced objections, saying the two countries have been tolerating and supporting terrorist groups.

Fatma filed a discrimination complaint report with the university on December 5, 2022, describing the professor’s response as being “based on political considerations” and “discriminatory if not completely racist”.

Her application has since been accepted by a different professor in the psychology department at the same university, and she plans to go ahead with the internship this summer.  

Since TRT World broke the news last week, the Swedish professor has taken down his Twitter account, and there hasn’t yet been any further communication from the professor or the university.

Cavusoglu reminded Fatma that the Turkish Embassy in Sweden is at her disposal and can assist her if she needs anything. 

“Continue to keep your head high, let your path be clear.”