BBC correspondent Mark Lowen has been detained and deported from Turkey, following his coverage of protests over the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu. The move has sparked international concern over press freedom.
Detention and Deportation
Lowen, a former Istanbul-based journalist, was arrested at his hotel on March 27 and detained for 17 hours before being expelled from the country. Turkish authorities cited him as a “threat to public order.”
Speaking about his deportation, Lowen expressed his distress:
“To be detained and deported from a country where I lived for five years and have deep affection for is extremely distressing. Press freedom and impartial reporting are fundamental to any democracy.”
BBC and Human Rights Watch Condemn the Action
The BBC’s CEO of News, Deborah Turness, called the incident “extremely troubling,” stating that no journalist should be treated this way for doing their job.
Emma Sinclair-Webb, Turkey director at Human Rights Watch, warned that the deportation sends a chilling message to the international media:
“This sends a message to the rest of the international media that ‘we will not tolerate you covering stories we don’t want the world to see.'”
Political Unrest and Crackdown on Journalists
The nationwide protests were triggered by the arrest of Ekrem Imamoglu, a key political rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Imamoglu is accused of corruption, charges he denies, with many opposition figures calling his arrest politically motivated.
So far, more than 1,400 protesters have been detained, with Erdogan branding the demonstrations “evil.” Several journalists, including a French photojournalist and Turkish reporters, were also arrested, though many were released the next day.
Despite the crackdown, Turkey’s main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), is planning a major rally in Istanbul on Saturday.
This incident raises serious concerns over press freedom in Turkey and its treatment of foreign journalists.
