BAYRAM Karabulut has battled for more than a year to be reunited with his wife.Now the 32-year-old is hoping an appeal hearing this month will persuade the Immigration Service to let her back into Britain so she can rejoin him.

By COLIN ADWENT

Colin.adwent@eveningstar.co.uk

BAYRAM Karabulut has battled for more than a year to be reunited with his wife.

Now the 32-year-old is hoping an appeal hearing this month will persuade the Immigration Service to let her back into Britain so she can rejoin him.

Today Mr Karabulut, of Foxhall Road, Ipswich, told how he is still fighting desperately to get his wife Meral back from Turkey where she went in May last year to care for her parents who lost family in a ferry accident.

His battle, which was first highlighted in The Evening Star in January, has come at an emotional and physical cost.

However he is confident it will all be worthwhile now the authorities have granted him a hearing on July 30 in London.

"I have never given up hope," said Mr Karabulut, who married his wife two and a half years ago at Ipswich Register Office. "I am looking forward to going to court and am convinced we are going to win our case. I have been destroyed by this emotionally but we are still fighting. I do not believe we are having to go through all this. It should have never have happened in the first place and that's what hurts most."

Mr Karabulut said he and his wife had checked she would be able to return to England before leaving for Turkey and claims they were told there would be no problem. However it was a very different story when Meral tried to return.

"I appreciate the Home Office has to be careful but after saying they did not believe our marriage was genuine no matter how hard we tried, it destroyed both of us," said Mr Karabulut. "It's awful to be apart. From first thing in the morning until last thing at night the anger gets to me."

Mr Karabulut said because of ill health and his desperate bid to overturn the decision, he has had to close his business, Star Grill in Reynolds Road Ipswich, to concentrate on getting his wife back.

He said he has Hepatitis B and needs his wife to help care for him when he is on medication.

"I couldn't be at my business enough and it was suffering so I had to sell it," he said. "The side effects of my treatment are very hard and my wife needs to be with me. Once I had to go into hospital because of depression.

"Meral is not doing very well. Every morning she phones to check I am ok."

Mr Karabulut added he has been heartened by those who have shown him such support during his struggle including Ipswich MP Chris Mole and all his friends and customers.

"Mr Mole has sent several letters (in support of Meral returning)," said Mr Karabulut. "I can't thank him enough.

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