The BBC has confirmed that its reporter Mark Lowen has been expelled from Turkey. Lowen was detained by police from his hotel earlier this week, where he spent 17 hours in custody.
Lowen, a seasoned reporter for the BBC, was in Istanbul to cover the ongoing protests sparked by the detention of Istanbul’s opposition mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu. The protests began after İmamoğlu’s arrest on charges linked to allegations of corruption, which many critics of the government believe is politically motivated. İmamoğlu is from the Republican People’s Party (CHP), a major opposition party in Turkey, and his arrest has sparked a wave of anti-government demonstrations.
| BBC reporter Mark Lowen expelled amidst anti-government protests in Turkey_1 |
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On March 27th, Lowen was officially informed that he was considered a “public threat” and was ordered to leave the country. In his statement, Lowen expressed his shock and sadness, especially as he had previously lived in Turkey for five years and had a deep affection for the country. He emphasized the importance of press freedom, stating, “Press freedom and impartial journalism are fundamental to any democracy.”
The BBC’s response came swiftly. Deborah Turness, the CEO of BBC News, condemned the expulsion, stating that it was an “extremely disturbing” event. She pointed out that Lowen was a highly experienced journalist with in-depth knowledge of Turkey, and that no journalist should face such treatment simply for doing their job. She also reassured the public that the BBC would continue to cover developments in Turkey impartially and fairly.
| BBC reporter Mark Lowen expelled amidst anti-government protests in Turkey |
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Dozens of journalists detained in Turkey
Lowen’s expulsion comes amid a broader crackdown on journalists covering the protests. Several journalists who were reporting from the Saraçhane protests have also been detained. Among them were Yasin Akgül, Kurtuluş Arı, Gökhan Kam, Ali Onur Tosun, Bülent Kılıç, Hayri Tunç, and Zeynep Kuray. The journalists were detained on charges of “violating the meeting and protest law” but were later released after their lawyers successfully appealed.
These detentions reflect the increasing pressure on journalists in Turkey. Many journalists have reported that their work was obscured or prevented during their detentions, and they claimed that their arrests were directly linked to their journalistic activities.
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The wave of protests began on March 19th, and since then, nearly 2,000 people have been detained across Turkey. The majority of those detained are university students, and according to the Istanbul Bar Association, among them are 20 minors. The prolonged detention of many protesters, combined with growing arrests, has sparked outrage from families and human rights groups.
Amid these protests, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced that the public holiday for Ramadan Bayram (Eid) would be extended to nine days, a move seen by many as an attempt to distract from the political unrest. The main opposition party, CHP, plans to hold a rally on March 29th in Maltepe, Istanbul, as part of their efforts to maintain momentum and keep up the pressure on the government.
Meanwhile, Ekrem İmamoğlu, the mayor at the heart of this political crisis, has been held in Silivri Prison since March 23rd. He was arrested on charges related to corruption, further intensifying the opposition’s accusations that his detention is politically motivated.
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