A Turkish-born former medical student accused of discussing poisoning a target received character letters from University of Michigan academics as he sought relief from court restrictions. Ahmet Kerem Korkaya was among eight people originally indicted in an alleged anti-Israel intimidation campaign. Prosecutors also cited his reported family connections to Turkey’s government when arguing against his release.
The federal case centered on efforts to force the University of Michigan to sever perceived financial ties with Israel. Authorities announced the original indictment in June 2026, describing threats against university leaders, law enforcement and businesses, including the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit. The allegations included discussions about harming officials and their children, along with vandalism at homes and other properties.
Korkaya attended the Medical College of Wisconsin’s physician-scientist training program and conducted research at U-M during 2023 and 2024. Other defendants had medical ambitions or healthcare employment of their own. Paige Elizabeth Feyock participated in a post-baccalaureate premedical program and worked as a clinical research coordinator at Michigan Medicine, while Mariam Muhammed Odeh pursued international studies on a premedical track.
According to the Justice Department’s announcement, Korkaya and Feyock exchanged messages about harming targets on May 21st, 2024. Korkaya allegedly discussed becoming one target’s physician, writing, “I’m gonna be the dirtiest f——- doctor ever / I’m gonna be [victim’s] doctor / poison her a– slowly.” Prosecutors also alleged that the pair discussed targeting children and burning a home.
The Detroit News reported that Korkaya is a naturalized American citizen and that prosecutors said he reported having relatives in the Turkish government. Authorities also described an apparent Egyptian foreign-residence card in his electronic records. Their filing cited travel to Egypt, Canada, India and the Netherlands during the preceding three years. These details appeared in arguments concerning his potential flight risk.
Other defendants’ overseas connections surfaced during a June bond hearing. The Detroit Free Press reported that a prosecutor identified Feyock as an American-German dual citizen and Jonathan Hongru Zou as an American citizen whose parents live in China. Zou had lived there for almost 15 years, the prosecutor said. Amatullah Aliasgar Hakim was in India on a university study-abroad program when the hearing took place.
Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that U-M colleagues submitted letters supporting Korkaya’s character. Yarden Azoulay Katz called him a “kind, gentle, and compassionate person” and said he posed no danger to others. Emad Abou-Arab, identified as a U-M medical-school professor, praised his academic record and “unbelievable commitment to his work.” Katz also cited Korkaya’s research and volunteering with children who had cancer.
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University police participated in the investigation, and Regent Sarah Hubbard welcomed law enforcement’s work, Michigan Advance reported. The outlet said U-M’s communications office had not answered its requests for comment by publication on June 10th. Public safety official Melissa Overton confirmed university officers participated in that morning’s raid. The faculty character letters were submitted by individual academics, rather than issued as an official university statement.
By November, Korkaya was working as a fifth-grade mathematics and science teacher and a soccer coach, according to the Journal Sentinel. His attorney said he had surrendered both his American and expired Turkish passports. Prosecutors opposed relaxing his release conditions, citing the alleged messages. The newspaper reported November 5th that a federal judge had eased those restrictions.