A 27-year-old woman from Afghanistan whose child was kidnapped to the north has been granted asylum by the Republic along with her son, it emerged on Friday.

Martina Malikzada, 27 from Afghanistan, reported that in May, her husband and father of their three-year-old child said he was taking the child to the park but instead fled to the north.

The father, Cihan Ayyildiz, 28, a Turkish Kurdish national was subsequently arrested in the north for illegal entry and imprisoned.

Their three-year-old child continues to be under the care of the north’s ‘social services’.

Malikzada said the news of her asylum status was “very good” as it means she can travel to Turkey and deal with the situation in case her husband is deported and granted custody of their son.

Diplomatic sources close to the matter previously told the Cyprus Mail that efforts were underway to try and help the mother, who has appealed to authorities of the Republic for help.

“This is not an easy case because the father is a Turkish national,” the source said. As such, ‘authorities’ may lean towards letting him keep their son as opposed to the mother, the source added.

Both parents came to the Republic from Turkey a year ago with their son, as their marriage was not accepted by the husband’s family.

They both requested asylum and stayed at the Pournara migrant reception centre before being transferred to Ayia Napa.

According to Malikzada, on May 12 her husband kidnapped the child.

By around 4am the next morning, she went to the Famagusta police station to report her husband and son missing. She was later notified her husband had been arrested in the north.