Dutch journalist detained in Turkey for 'insulting' Erdoğan

ISTANBUL

A Dutch journalist was detained on April 23 in the Kuşadası district of the Aegean province of Aydın for allegedly insulting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan via her Twitter account. 

Police detained journalist Ebru Umar after she tweeted an extract from a recent piece she wrote for Dutch daily Metro critical of Erdoğan.

“Police at the door. No joke,” tweeted Umar, who also holds Turkish citizenship.

The Dutch Foreign Ministry announced it was in “close contact with” Umar following her detainment.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte tweeted he had contacted the journalist on April 23, as well as mentioning the embassy’s assistance on the issue.

The Dutch consular agent in İzmir appointed main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) Kuşadası district head lawyer Nail Özazman to defend Umar.

Umar was transferred to court with an arrest demand on April 24 following her proceedings in the security directorate.

A local court later ruled for the release of Umar on probation along with a travel ban.

Also on April 23, a German newspaper says a Greek photographer who was working for it has been turned back by Turkish authorities at Istanbul's main airport.
     
The Bild daily reported that Giorgos Moutafis was prevented from continuing to Libya on the evening of April 23. He had to take the next plane back to the Greek capital, Athens, on the morning of April 24.
     
It quoted the photographer as saying he had been told at passport control that his name was on a list of people who weren't allowed to enter Turkey, but wasn't given a reason why.
     
The reported incident comes days after a journalist with a German public broadcaster was prevented from entering Turkey. Chancellor Angela Merkel says she discussed that case during a visit to Turkey on April 23.

Meanwhile, a Turkish journalist was released on early April 24 in İzmir following his detainment for remarks about a prison head in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır during the Sept. 12, 1980, military coup period.

Police detained journalist and writer Ümit Zileli at his hotel after an arrest warrant was issued for him.

Zileli’s lawyer, Murat Ergün, said the journalist was detained for calling the Diyarbakır prison head a “torturer” during the Sept. 12, 1980, coup period.

Zileli was in the city to attend the 21st İzmir book fair. Ergün said that Zileli would attend the fair on April 24.