Abandoned Baby at Antalya Airport to Stay with Foster Family, Official Confirms

The baby girl who was abandoned in a Turkish airport toilet last year will remain with her foster family and is doing well, according to Moscow region’s children’s rights commissioner Ksenia Mishonova. Speaking to RIA Novosti on Saturday, Mishonova confirmed the child’s stable situation, adding that a court has upheld the termination of parental rights for the biological mother, Yekaterina Burnashkina.

Burnashkina gave birth in a restroom at Antalya Airport in October 2024, left the newborn in a toilet, and attempted to fly back to Moscow. She was detained along with her own mother. In February 2025, a Turkish court sentenced Burnashkina to 15 years in prison, but an appeals court released her from custody in July. A Russian court later stripped her of parental rights in September.

Meanwhile, the child was brought back to Russia. At the request of Moscow region governor Andrei Vorobyov, the regional social development ministry found her a temporary foster home in Pavlovsky Posad last June. The foster mother, 49-year-old Marina Makarova, is an experienced caregiver who has raised several children. Mishonova emphasized that the girl is now safe and thriving in her new family environment. The case has drawn widespread attention to child welfare and international legal cooperation.