Two Turkish journalists arrested ahead of NATO summit: rights group

Dozens of arrests have been made in recent months of journalists and activists seen as critical of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Turkish authorities detained two journalists ahead of a NATO summit being held in Ankara on Tuesday, their outlets and a rights group said.

Dozens of arrests have been made in recent months of journalists and activists seen as critical of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is hosting alliance leaders at the two-day summit.

Opposition website Bir Gun said its reporter Kayhan Ayhan, who has been covering the trial of Istanbul's opposition mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, was detained at his home on Monday night for publishing "fake news".

He was released on Tuesday under judicial supervision and barred from leaving the country, the outlet said.

"I have done nothing but my job as a journalist, and I will keep writing," Ayhan said in comments released by the website, which said the case against him had been opened by an anti-terrorism unit.

The MLSA rights group said journalist Hazar Dost had also been detained while shopping for food in Istanbul on charges over his participation in a 2018 protest.

He was also released after being subjected to what he described as abusive treatment in custody, according to news site Bianet.

Dost has already been acquitted once in the case, but prosecutors have launched an appeal.

 

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