The glamorous ex-girlfriend of fugitive biker boss Mark Buddle is still stuck in a Turkish detention center – and has no idea when she will be released
- Mel Ter Wisscha was arrested on July 22 in the Turkish coastal city of Bodrum
- Australian consulate staff have not been able to see her since
- Her family say she is being treated well but are concerned for her wellbeing
The glamorous ex-girlfriend of fugitive biker boss Mark Buddle is still stuck in a detention center in Turkey without knowing when she can get out.
Mel Ter Wisscha was arrested over visa issues as she tried to leave a resort in the coastal city of Bodrum on July 22.
Australian consulate staff have still not been able to see her, although the former cheerleader has not been charged with a crime.
Ms Ter Wisscha was previously pictured modeling handbags and enjoying the facilities at Turkey’s $11,000-a-night D Maris Bay resort before her arrest.
Mel Ter Wisscha was arrested over visa issues as she attempted to leave a resort in the coastal town of Bodrum on July 22
Comanchero boss Buddle was deported to Australia in early August, but Ms Ter Wisscha’s circumstances have not changed
She also revealed she had broken up with 44-year-old Buddle, who was arrested on July 9 in a secret mission with the help of Interpol in Cyprus and then taken to a Turkish prison.
Comanchero boss Buddle was deported to Australia in early August, but Ms Ter Wisscha’s circumstances have not changed.
“The consulate was able to get Mel on the phone but have not yet been able to visit her,” her mother, Donna, told The Daily Telegraph.
“Mel is being treated well in detention and we are doing everything we can to release her, but it’s just a waiting game.
“I’m in Dubai looking after her two children who are both doing well… but unfortunately we don’t have any further information.
“I’m not angry, just worried. I care about their well-being and that of my grandchildren and we all want this situation to be resolved as soon as possible.”
In a statement, DFAT said: “Consular staff from the Australian Embassy in Ankara are working with Turkish authorities to provide consular assistance to an Australian woman detained in Turkey.
“We seek access to consular visits and engage their legal representatives. Due to our privacy commitments, we are unable to provide further details.’
Ms. Ter Wisscha lived in the suburb of Bitez, about four kilometers east of Bodrum.
Upscale Bitez is an affluent residential enclave full of luxury villas and popular beaches.
after being questioned, Ms. Ter Wisscha was then taken to a detention center in south-west Turkey.
The center is secured by armed guards around the perimeter and houses adult men and women, children and the disabled. It has a capacity of 88 inmates.
Mel Ter Wisscha (pictured) said she broke up with Mark Buddle and hasn’t seen her children’s father for a year
Buddle (pictured in Comanchero gear) fled Australia in 2016 after becoming the leader of the Bikie gang in 2009
She is currently sharing a room with a random cellmate and is the only person aside from the guards who speaks English at the facility.
Ms Ter Wisscha and the Comanchero kingpin moved to Dubai with their two children in 2016 after the biker was caught in the crosshairs of Australian police.
But after spending five years together in the United Arab Emirates, Ms Ter Wisscha said the couple went their separate ways in July 2021, when she moved to Bodrum in Turkey and he went to northern Cyprus.
“I haven’t seen Mark in a year. He is the father of my children. You see him, I don’t,” Ms Ter Wisscha told The Daily Telegraph.
“I didn’t leave Turkey.
“My children have gone to and from (Northern Cyprus) but I stayed away.”
Buddle is now in custody under strict protection after being extradited from Turkey and flown to Victoria to face charges of allegedly smuggling $40 million worth of cocaine.
