Turkish citizen Ali Baybaş (77 years old), registered in the village of Kawak in the town of Coron in the state of Sivas, returns to his homeland after nearly 40 years of attachment to Mecca in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Baybaş had traveled to Saudi Arabia about 40 years ago, and faced legal obstacles and a travel ban due to his failure to attend the sessions of a case brought against him, which prevented him from returning to his country. Baybaş was partially paralyzed as a result of accidents he was exposed to over time, and he suffered from serious health problems as he tried to cling to life on the streets of Mecca.

Turkish pilgrims, during this year’s Hajj season, noticed Baybaş’s debilitating condition, and his story spread across social media, drawing the attention of Turkish politicians.

At the initiative of the representative of the Justice and Development Party in Sivas, Roke Toy, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs began working to facilitate the return of Baybaş returned to his homeland, where the diplomatic efforts exerted by the Turkish Embassy in Riyadh and the General Consulate in Jeddah with the Saudi authorities resulted in the complete lifting of all administrative restrictions and travel bans imposed on him.

Baybaş was scheduled to arrive in Istanbul this evening, where MP Roke Toy will personally receive him at Istanbul Airport, and he will spend one night in Istanbul before arranging his arrival to Sivas.