Interpol issues red notice for famous Turkish author and son who fled to US after car crash

Turkish media released footage in March showing Tok and her son in New York

Eylem Tok and son at Istanbul airport (Turkish Police)

Interpol have granted Turkey’s request over a well-known author and her son who fled to America after a fatal car crash.

A red notice has been issued for the 17-year-old involved in a fatal car accident in Istanbul, as well as his mother, Turkish novelist and poet Eylem Tok, who fled with him to the United States, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported on Thursday.

It said Interpol issued the red notice on Thursday for the pair who travelled to the United States via Egypt following the traffic incident in March.

A red notice is a request to law enforcement officials to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender or similar legal action.

The teenager was driving a car on March 1 when his vehicle ran into and killed one person and injured four others on the outskirts of Istanbul, authorities said.

Turkish media released footage in March showing Tok and her son in New York. Turkey submitted an extradition request the same month to US authorities for the mother and son.

Eylem Tok and son at Istanbul airport (Turkish Police)

The pair had also apparently been photographed by a Turkish national who lives in New York.

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office was continuing its investigation into the death of Oguz Murat Aci and the injury of four others, Turkish media reported.

A few days after the incident, Tok issued a written statement published by Demiroren news agency: “We’ll be brought to justice. On behalf of myself and my son, I sincerely apologise to the public.”

On its website Interpol describes a Red Notice as a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action.

It adds: “A Red Notice is not an international arrest warrant.

“The individuals are wanted by the requesting member country, or international tribunal. Member countries apply their own laws in deciding whether to arrest a person.

“The majority of Red Notices are restricted to law enforcement use only.

“Extracts of Red Notices are published at the request of the member country concerned and where the public’s help may be needed to locate an individual or if the individual may pose a threat to public safety.”