What it's like to be a foreign journalist in Turkey
Most foreign journalists in Turkey are reminded of the government’s power while trying to renew residency permits and press cards.
On March 17, German journalist Hasnain Kazim, Der Spiegel’s correspondent based in Istanbul, had to leave the country as his press card was not renewed. Kazim reportedly waited three months for the renewal.
While the grim situation of the Turkish media is well-documented and frequently discussed, foreign journalists sustain heavy blows as well. Foreign journalists who do not have Turkish citizenship must obtain a residency permit and a press card to report from Turkey. Both have to be renewed periodically.
There have been high profile cases such as the three Vice News journalists who were arrested for allegedly supporting a terror organization in August 2015. One of them was kept in custody for four months. Over the last few years, several foreign journalists have been deported from Turkey. There are still quite a few foreign journalists reporting from Turkey who are facing various challenges on a regular basis.
Indeed, the press rules for foreign journalists who are accredited have not changed, but Ankara has decided to enforce them more diligently. One senior bureaucrat told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, “In times when national security threats are growing exponentially, we have to be vigilant and procedures [for accreditation and residency permits] take time.”
