Picture this: A young man buckled in a plane seat with his hands cuffed behind him looking distraught. The man, 29-year-old Egyptian citizen Mohamed Abdelhafez Ahmed Hussein, was extradited to Cairo from Istanbul's Ataturk airport Jan. 18. He was sentenced to death in absentia in the 2015 car bombing that claimed the life of Egypt’s chief prosecutor, Hisham Barakat; 27 others also received death sentences.

It was not until early February that the photo of Hussein in the plane started spreading on social media networks. Almost everyone was surprised, and Islamists were disturbed, by the extradition of Hussein to Egypt, where they say torture is prevalent and fair courts do not exist. Given the Turkish government’s open and relentless support for the Muslim Brotherhood movement, how and why was Hussein returned to Egypt where he may face execution? (He is entitled to a retrial). Are other Muslim Brotherhood members seeking refuge in Turkey in danger as well? Hussein had arrived at the Ataturk airport Jan. 16 without a valid visa on a flight from Somalia.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Turkish government have passionately supported former Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, who was toppled by Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in July 2013. Since then, Erdogan has repeatedly called for the release of Morsi. Erdogan’s fervent support for the Muslim Brotherhood was symbolized by his use of the Rabia sign, holding four fingers out with thumb curled in. The sign became synonymous with Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its leadership. Erdogan frequently praised the Muslim Brotherhood and even shed tears on television for young members of the movement who were killed, many in the Rabia al-Adawiya Square massacre in Cairo in August 2013;

Erdogan’s support for the Muslim Brotherhood did not stop there. Istanbul has become the hub for Sunni Arab activists, particularly those who are members of the Muslim Brotherhood. However, the group is considered a terror organization in several Arab states, including Egypt. Today hundreds of Sunni Arab journalists and dissidents reside in Istanbul, where they have established television channels and online media platforms. The Muslim Brotherhood held its 90th anniversary gala in Istanbul in April 2018.