Turkish Press Council sends letter to al-Assad

ISTANBUL - Anatolia News Agency

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The Turkish Press Council has decided to send a letter to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad asking him to free journalists Cüneyt Ünal and Beshar Kadumi, the council has said in a written statement.

The letter was delivered to Syria’s Consulate General in Istanbul on behalf of Council Chief Orhan Birgit. The letter reads as follows:

“Dear Mr. Bashar al-Assad,

Cüneyt Ünal and his Palestinian counterpart Beshar Fehmi Kadumi, who were carrying out their duties as journalists, are under arrest. We wish for our colleagues, who have been working professionally for 17 years and were arrested for doing their job, to be released to spend Eid al-Adha with their families.

Therefore, we make a special request to you and hope that your attention will bring a positive outcome.”
Ünal and Kadumi have been missing in Syria since August.