TURKEY tr-national

American journalist detained in Turkey

ISTANBUL - Daily News with wires | 8/12/2010 12:00:00 AM |

Jake Hess, an American journalist, has been detained by police in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır, facing accusations that he has links with the Kurdish Communities Union.

Jake Hess, an American journalist, has been detained by police in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır, facing accusations that he has links with the Kurdish Communities Union, or KCK, and of leaking information to United States security services.

“Jake was detained by police in Diyarbakır at 5.45 p.m. on Wednesday,” said his lawyer Serkan Akbaş, Doğan news agency reported Thursday.

Hess was accused of collaborating with around 150 Kurdish activists currently in prison and whose names feature in a case file about the KCK.

Hess is also accused of leaking information about nearby provinces via mail to the U.S. Authorities said his name was found in some suspicious letters written to the United Nations and to various European countries.

Akbaş rejected all accusations against Hess including that his client was working for Muharem Erbey, deputy chairman of the Human Rights Association, or İHD. Akbaş said Hess had worked as translator for the association in the past but was not currently involved with the group. He said Hess’ relation to the İHD extended no further than that.

Akbaş said Hess might be deported for “helping those who want to disturb the safety and public order of the country.”

Hess is expected to be brought to court Friday where he will either be detained pending trial or deported.

Hess was writing articles mainly for Inter Press Service, or IPS, regarding suspected terrorists’ claims of having been tortured in Turkey.