Turkey deports BBC reporter as detentions near 1,880 amid protest crackdown
A BBC journalist was deported as Turkish authorities widened their media crackdown, with around 250 people having been detained pending trial during protests.
ANKARA — Turkish authorities have deported BBC journalist Mark Lowen as part of a widening media crackdown, while nearly 1,880 people have been detained in protests over the imprisonment of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, with around 250 still held pending trial, according to officials.
Turkey’s Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya reported Thursday that of the 1,879 people detained during the protests, 260 remain in custody pending trial. He also stated that 469 people have been released, while 662 others remain in detention, with some awaiting questioning and others involved in ongoing judicial proceedings.
Imamoglu, the presidential contender for the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), has been imprisoned pending the outcome of his trial, triggering mass protests across Turkey for over a week. Prosecutors accuse him of corruption and terrorism charges that critics say are politically motivated and aimed at sidelining one of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s strongest rivals. The Turkish government denies the accusations, insisting that the judiciary operates independently.
Seven journalists, including Agence France-Presse's award-winning photojournalist Yasin Akgul, who were arrested by an Istanbul court earlier this week for violating public protest laws, were released on Thursday. However, pressure on the media continues to intensify.
