Crackdown on Media Coverage of Istanbul Protests in Turkey
Turkey intensified its crackdown on media coverage of mass protests following the arrest of Istanbul’s popular mayor, resulting in the deportation of a BBC journalist and a 10-day broadcast ban on an opposition TV channel.
The protests began on March 19 after the arrest of Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s main political rival, leading to widespread demonstrations and clashes with riot police.
Mark Lowen, a BBC journalist covering the protests, was deported from Turkey on Thursday for posing a “threat to public order.” Additionally, 11 Turkish journalists, including an AFP photographer, were detained for their coverage of the protests.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya reported that over 1,879 people have been detained since the start of the protests, with most of them being released by Thursday.
Furthermore, the broadcasting watchdog RTUK imposed a 10-day ban on the opposition TV channel Sozcu for alleged incitement of “hatred and hostility” during its coverage of the protests.
The court ordered the release of journalists who were initially remanded in custody, drawing condemnation from rights groups and the international community.
Despite the ongoing crackdown, protests continued in Ankara and Istanbul, with medical students and lecturers demonstrating against the government’s actions.
The main opposition party, CHP, called for a major gathering on Saturday in response to the arrests and the appointment of an interim mayor in Istanbul.
President Erdogan denounced the protests as “street terror” and criticized the CHP and its leader Ozgur Ozel.
(This article is based on a syndicated feed and has not been edited by the NDTV staff)
