AFP Demands Turkey Release Imprisoned Photographer
The news agency Agence-France Presse (AFP) has demanded the release of its jailed Turkish photojournalist Yasin Akgül who was detained while covering protests in Istanbul.
Yesterday (Tuesday), a Turkish court placed seven journalists in custody, including Akgül, a move that has drawn criticism from AFP and media freedom groups.
“AFP strongly condemns the detention of its journalist and photographer Yasin Akgül and calls for his immediate release. This is a serious attack on the freedom of the media,” AFP says in a statement. “AFP calls on the Turkish authorities to respect the freedom of the press and the work of journalists, essential pillars of any democratic society.”
According to the Turkish authorities, Akgül was taking part in an illegal gathering in Istanbul. AFP says he was detained in front of his wife and two young children.
In a letter addressed to the Turkish presidency, Fabrice Fries, AFP’s chairman, calls Akgül’s imprisonment unacceptable.
“Yasin Akgül was not part of the protest. As a journalist, he was covering one of the many demonstrations that have been organized in the country since Wednesday, March 19. He has taken exactly 187 photographs since the start of the protests, each one a witness to his work as a journalist,” writes Fries.
“It is the job of a photographer to be where the events are occurring, including getting between protesters and the forces of order. Yasin Akgül is one of the best photographers and his professional qualities are recognized the world over.”
AFP says that Akgül has been covering politics in Turkey for the past 10 years. He covers all sides, including political rallies of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Turkey has arrested five photographers after tens of thousands of protesters took part in demonstrations across Turkey after Ekrem Imamoglu, the mayor of Istanbul, was detained on corruption charges and sent to a high-security prison.
Imamoglu’s arrest came on the same day he was named the opposition’s candidate against Turkey’s longtime President Erdogan in the country’s next major election scheduled for 2028.
Imamoglu has been widely seen as the only politician who could defeat President Erdogan. Many Turks view the mayor’s arrest as a politically driven attempt to remove him from the next presidential race. President Erdogan has denied these accusations and claims Turkey’s courts are independent.
Image credits: Matt Growcoot
