A Turkish father’s struggle to save his children in Ukraine

Yusuf İnan
Journalist | Political and Strategic Analyst

MYKOLAIV, Ukraine — Writing these lines is not only a journalistic duty for me; it is also the cry of conscience of a father who could not watch his children grow for eight years.

Türkiye has stood beside the Ukrainian people since the first day of Russia’s invasion attempt. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan kept diplomatic channels open during the darkest days of the war. Türkiye played important roles in prisoner exchanges, peace efforts and humanitarian assistance. Through initiatives led by Emine Erdoğan, Ukrainian children were hosted in Türkiye, and the tragedy of children separated from their families was brought to the world’s attention.

Today, Ukraine rightly asks the world to help bring home children taken by Russia. This appeal speaks to the common conscience of humanity. Children do not belong in the middle of war, politics or bureaucracy. They belong with their families.

That is precisely why what is happening today in Mykolaiv deserves careful attention. This article should not be read as hostility toward Ukraine. It should be read as a painful warning from someone who values Türkiye-Ukraine friendship and wants that friendship to be reflected not only in diplomacy, but also in ordinary administrative practice.

A father wants to remain beside his children

I am Yusuf İnan, a citizen of the Republic of Türkiye, a journalist, one of the founders of the AK Party and the father of three daughters. I lived in Ukraine between 2013 and 2018. I married here. My three daughters, Elif, Ayşe Aynur and Zarina, were born in Ukraine.

During my years in Ukraine, disputes, commercial rivalries and pressure led to false accusations against me. This process forced me to return to Türkiye, leaving my daughters behind when they were still very young. My three girls grew up without their father for nearly eight years.

After years of legal struggle, the Constitutional Court of Türkiye ruled in my favor in application No. 2022/48631, dated 09.12.2025, finding a violation of rights and awarding compensation. Following that decision, the 19th High Criminal Court of İzmir lifted the travel ban that had prevented me from leaving Türkiye.

After eight years, I came to Mykolaiv, Ukraine, to be with my wife and three daughters. My family lives outside the city, in an area that remains difficult in terms of security. My children do not speak Turkish and did not want to disrupt their current life, so they were not convinced to return to Türkiye.

As a father, my only wish is simple: to remain beside my family under wartime conditions and protect my children.

Security conditions require responsible wording

Before explaining the bureaucratic problem, I must underline one point clearly: office names, exact addresses and the names of officials are intentionally not included in this article.

Ukraine is a country at war. Public offices, administrative buildings and state personnel may face security risks. For that reason, I do not consider it responsible to publish sensitive location details, office information or the names of public officials in an open column.

This choice should not be interpreted as a lack of information. The relevant documents, dates, office visits and procedural details can be submitted to competent Ukrainian authorities, Turkish diplomatic representatives and lawyers through official channels. But in public writing, the safety of Ukrainian institutions and personnel must also be respected.

My criticism is not directed at Ukraine’s security needs. My concern is administrative silence, failure to accept documents, lack of registration and the absence of a written, reasoned response.

The previous residence permit was cancelled under legally questionable circumstances

Before this process, I already had a permanent residence permit in Ukraine. However, that permit was cancelled under circumstances that, in my view, did not comply with the requirements of legality and fair administrative procedure.

For that reason, this is not a request for a special privilege. It is a request to restore a legal status that was lost as a result of a decision that raises serious legal questions.

If the state believes there are no grounds to restore the residence permit, it has the authority to make such a decision. But that decision must be official, written, reasoned and open to appeal through legal channels.

A situation in which documents are not accepted, an application is not registered, and a person receives neither a decision nor a legal explanation deprives the applicant of the ability to defend his rights.

The migration process changed direction, but the documents were not accepted

I prepared the necessary documents to restore my permanent residence permit in Ukraine, which had previously been cancelled in a manner that I believe was neither proper nor lawful. However, the migration process in Mykolaiv has not moved forward. My application documents have not been officially accepted, and my case has not been opened for review.

First, I applied to the unit indicated according to my residence situation. After nearly a month of waiting, I was directed to another unit. That unit also did not accept my documents or take any action for more than a month. Later, I was told that I belonged to a different administrative area and was sent elsewhere again.

During this process, the procedure turned into a bureaucratic maze. Yet one thing did not change: my documents were not accepted, my application was not officially registered, and I was not given a written and reasoned refusal.

In a state governed by the rule of law, a public institution should not leave an applicant moving from one place to another without a formal record. It should accept the documents, issue a registration number and examine the file. If a document is missing, it should notify the applicant in writing. If the application is rejected, it should explain the legal grounds.

Administrative silence cannot become a hidden punishment.

The 90-day limit has turned into humanitarian pressure

I have the right to stay in Ukraine for 90 days. I entered Ukraine on 13 March 2026, and very little time remains before my legal stay expires. Because my documents are not being processed, my ability to remain with my family is effectively being blocked.

The migration authorities asked me for a guarantor. A family friend who is a Ukrainian citizen provided a notarized guarantor document. Although I have my own house, I was first told that address registration would not be a problem, but later I was told it would not be accepted. Then a Ukrainian citizen, I.Z., offered her own home as an address for registration. Despite this, my application was still not accepted.

This is not merely about a residence document. It is about three girls, who grew up for eight years without their father, facing the risk of being separated from him once again.

Ukraine must see this contradiction while defending children’s rights

Throughout the war, Ukraine has appealed to the conscience of the world on the issue of children’s rights. It has been fighting a major struggle to reunite Ukrainian children taken by Russia with their families. The Republic of Türkiye has stood beside Ukraine in this matter as well. President Erdoğan’s diplomatic efforts and Türkiye’s humanitarian approach have shown that the tragedy of Ukrainian children has not been ignored.

But if, in the same Ukraine, a father who is a citizen of the Republic of Türkiye faces bureaucratic obstacles while trying to remain beside his children in the middle of war, a serious contradiction emerges.

While the Ukrainian state seeks global support against the separation of children from their families, it is deeply troubling for local administrative practice to produce a result that may separate three girls from their father.

This does not help Ukraine’s own struggle for children’s rights. Children’s rights are universal. They matter as much for Ukrainian children as they do for children living in Ukraine who have both Turkish and Ukrainian family roots.

Administrative conduct should be reviewed

Refusing to accept documents, failing to register an application, not providing a written response and leaving a person in uncertainty until the legal stay period expires cannot be treated as an ordinary delay.

If an administrative process does not accept an applicant’s documents at several stages and keeps directing him elsewhere, this at least requires serious review by competent authorities.

This is not a demand for privilege. It is a request for due process.

No one is asking Ukraine to ignore its laws. On the contrary, the request is for the law to be applied transparently: accept the documents, register the application, examine the file, notify missing documents in writing if any exist, and if there is a refusal, provide a written decision with legal grounds.

This is the minimum expectation in any state that respects the rule of law.

Türkiye-Ukraine friendship must also be felt in bureaucracy

Türkiye stood beside Ukraine during its most difficult days. It opened its doors to the Ukrainian people. It supported children, women and families. It carried out diplomacy, humanitarian assistance and peace efforts.

During my years in Ukraine, I also carried out humanitarian activities that honored Türkiye and left positive memories in the hearts of the Ukrainian people. I supported retirees, people in need, widows and orphans, families of fallen soldiers, veterans and organizations for people with disabilities. Information and documents about these activities are available at www.fondinan.com.

Despite this, today, as a father, I am waiting only for my documents to be accepted so that I can remain beside my children through a lawful administrative process.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy should be informed about such practices in Ukrainian state institutions. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan should also know how a Turkish citizen who wants to stay with his children in Ukraine has been pushed into a bureaucratic deadlock.

This article is not written in anger against Ukraine. It is a painful warning written to protect Türkiye-Ukraine friendship.

Friendship should not remain only in statements by leaders, diplomatic photographs or humanitarian campaigns. Friendship must also be felt in migration offices, consulates, border gates, police stations and in the application of an ordinary citizen.

What is expected today is very simple: the documents should be accepted, the application should be registered, the process should be carried out in accordance with the law, and a father should not be separated from his three daughters once again.

Türkiye stood beside Ukraine’s children. Now Ukrainian institutions should also respect the right of a Turkish father to remain beside his children.

Yusuf Inan

www.wisenewspress.com

Yusuf Inan is a journalist and writer. He serves as Editor-in-Chief of UAPresa.com, WiseNewsPress.com, SehitlerOlmez.com and YerelGundem.com, and specializes in strategic and political analysis of Turkish and global affairs.