BBC Turkish says reporter freed in southeast Turkey

ISTANBUL - Agence France-Presse

Turkish authorities on Nov. 27 freed a reporter for the BBC's Turkish language service in the southeast of the country after holding her for a day without explanation, the broadcaster said.

Hatice Kamer was detained on Nov. 26 while reporting on a mine disaster in the southeastern province of Siirt that left 11 miners dead and five missing, BBC Türkçe (BBC Turkish) said in a statement on its website.
 
It said she had been held overnight at the Siirt police headquarters and was in a good condition. BBC Türkçe added that there was still no explanation over why Kamer had been detained.
 
But German broadcaster Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR), which Kamer also works for, said it had learnt from the journalist that she "is accused of having supported the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) through her reporting".
 
"She was told that she would have to stand trial," said WDR after speaking to Kamer over the phone.
 
The 39-year-old journalist said however that there was no evidence to back the charges, added the German broadcaster.
 
BBC Türkçe said Kamer had been looking to talk to relatives of the miners at the copper mine, which collapsed late on Nov. 17. Rescue efforts are still continuing at the mine.
 
Kamer is a board member for the association of journalists in southeast Turkey.
 
Dozens of journalists have been detained in Turkey under the state of emergency in the wake of the July 15 failed coup attempt.