FMT understands that Arif Komis, 43 and his family are being detained at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

It was also learnt that Komis was accused by the Turkish government of being part of the Gulen group, a faith-based social movement inspired by the teachings of exiled Turkish Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen.

Komis, who works at the Time International School as a chemistry teacher, was arrested by Malaysian police on Aug 28.

In a response on Twitter, Human Rights Watch’s Asian spokesman Phil Robertson criticised Putrajaya for violating the rights of asylum seekers.

“Where’s Malaysia civil society to protect this Turkish person of concern to UNHCR and family? Why is the Pakatan Harapan government violating refugee rights in this way? Why’s a simple school teacher treated so shoddily?” Robertson asked.

The Gulen movement has been accused of plotting the overthrow of the Turkish government during the failed coup of 2016, the aftermath of which saw the arrest of tens of thousands of people and the sacking of thousands others from the civil service.

Malaysia has been among countries who have obliged requests by Turkey to deport its nationals seeking asylum abroad.

In 2017, Malaysia deported three Turkish nationals upon Ankara’s request, drawing condemnation from rights groups.

Turgay Karaman, Ismet Ozcelik and Ihsan Aslan were deported to Turkey despite pleas from their families.

Earlier this year, Malaysian police deported four Egyptian nationals wanted by the military regime in Cairo.

The fate of Mohamed Fathy Eid, Abdallah Mahmoud Hisham, Abdelrahman Abdelaziz Ahmed and Azmy al-Sayed Mohamed is still unknown, with HRW saying they were at “serious risk of torture and ill-treatment in Egypt”.