Turkey protests: Istanbul court orders release of arrested journalists
An Istanbul court has ordered the release of eight arrested journalists as protests continue in Turkey over the jailing of the city's mayor Ekrem Imamoglu.
The journalists, including a photographer for the AFP news agency and an number of freelancers, were remanded in custody on Tuesday for "taking part in illegal rallies and marches".
Despite an official ban, demonstrations have swept Turkey since Imamoglu, a popular opposition leader and upcoming presidential candidate who could potentially challenge President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was arrested on 19 March.
On Thursday, media monitoring group MLSA said a number of journalists had been released from pre-trial detention after it appealed.
A video released on their social media feed showed Bulent Kilic, Kurtulus Ari, Ali Onur Tosun, Hayri Tunc and Gokhan Kam after their release from Silivri prison.
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AFP photojournalist Yasin Akgul and reporter Zeynep Kuray were also reportedly set to be released on Thursday.
Erol Onderoglu, Turkey chief for Reporters Without Borders (RSF), told Middle East Eye that while it welcomed the release of the journalists, there was deep concern at the "impunity" the security services enjoyed when it came to targeting media workers.
"Looking at the high scale of demonstrations, we have noticed a radical and extremely concerning type of intervention on media exercise which has once again shown to us that the right to report freely is maybe the last priority of the government and law enforcement," he said.
'The main goal seems to be the prevention of coverage, reports and images reflecting police brutalities'
- Erol Onderoglu, RSF
Onderoglu, who has himself faced prison over his media work, said the arrest of AFP journalists also proved that those working for international media outlets had no extra protection compared with local ones.
"The main goal seems to be the prevention of coverage, reports and images reflecting police brutalities," he said.
Two journalists arrested in the city of Izmir on Tuesday remain in custody.
Turkey has regularly been described as the world's worst jailer of journalists by media freedom organisations.
President Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and previous Turkish administrations have long been accused of suppressing press freedom, with crackdowns on critical journalists escalating dramatically after the 2016 coup attempt.
AFP on Tuesday called the arrest of Akgul "unacceptable".
“Yasin Akgul was not part of the protest. As a journalist, he was covering one of the many demonstrations that have been organised in the country since Wednesday 19 March," said chief executive and chairman Fabrice Fries in a statement.
"He has taken exactly 187 photographs since the start of the protests, each one a witness to his work as a journalist."
'No concessions'
The outcry over Imamoglu's arrest has sparked arguably the biggest street protests in Turkey in more than a decade, with cities and towns across the country swamped by demonstrators angry at what has been seen as an attempt to subvert democracy.
Imamoglu was on Sunday confirmed by the People's Republican Party (CHP) as their candidate for the next presidential election. The mayor's poll ratings suggest he could potentially defeat Erdogan and put an end to the AKP's more than 23 years of rule.
The Interior Ministry said 1,879 had been arrested since protests began, while 150 police officers had been injured.
Of those arrested, 260 have been imprisoned or are in custody, while more than 950 have been released under judicial supervision, restricting their movements.
Erdogan on Thursday told a meeting of the AKP that the protests were an attempt by the CHP to "oust us through illegitimate means".
"The judiciary will hold those behind any sabotage against the Turkish economy and the wellbeing of the nation accountable," he said.
On Wednesday, the Istanbul City Council elected an interim mayor, Nuri Aslan - also a member of the CHP - to replace Imamoglu, allaying fears the state would appoint an administrator.
Further protests are planned for Thursday evening, while the CHP has planned a demonstration on Saturday.
While many of those taking part in protests have been supporters of the CHP and Imamoglu, they have drawn in a much wider range of people concerned about a lingering economic crisis and increasing authoritarianism in Turkey.
Students from Istanbul University - whose withdrawal of a degree from Imamoglu, thus invalidating his right to run for president, sparked the current crisis - told MEE last week that they were fighting for fundamental freedoms and radical change in Turkey, not just a change of government.
"The situation in Turkey is not a uniquely Turkish problem - people everywhere are losing their basic rights, and of course they will become politicised," they said, using the name Ogrenci Dayanismasi (Student Solidarity).
"The process may change, but the struggle must continue with the same determination."
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