BBC correspondent detained and deported
BBC journalist Mark Lowen, who was reporting on the Ekrem İmamoğlu protests in İstanbul, was detained at his hotel yesterday. After being held in custody for 17 hours, Lowen was deported.
Lowen was detained from his hotel on Wednesday (25 March) and held in custody for 17 hours.
In a statement released by the BBC, it was reported that Lowen was handed a written notice stating he was being deported on the grounds of “posing a threat to public order.”
Lowen, who previously served as the BBC’s Turkey correspondent for five years, said: “It is deeply upsetting to be deported from a country I hold so much affection for and once lived in. Press freedom and impartial journalism are the cornerstones of any democracy.”
BBC News CEO Deborah Turness described the incident as “an extremely troubling incident” and said: “Mark is a very experienced correspondent with a deep knowledge of Turkey and no journalist should face this kind of treatment simply for doing their job. We will continue to report impartially and fairly on events in Turkey.”
