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Germany gains access to detained journalist Yucel in Turkey

April 3, 2017

Germany's foreign ministry has said it will finally gain consular access to a detained German-Turkish journalist. Deniz Yucel has been held in Istanbul by Turkish authorities for six weeks on "terror propaganda" charges.

https://p.dw.com/p/2aYG2
Deniz Yücel Journalist
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/C.Merey

A spokesperson for German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said Monday that German diplomats in Turkey would be granted access to Deniz Yucel, a German-Turkish journalist for the "Welt" newspaper. He has been held since the middle of February and is being accused of supporting terrorism.

WorldLink: The sultan's political hostage

The consular visit is expected on Tuesday. 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Yucel of "espionage" in a recent speech and said he was an agent of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is banned in Turkey.

Yucel was taken into pre-trial custody, which can last up to five years in Turkey.

Criticism of Yucel's detention has been loud in Germany, with many accusations that it was a politically motivated move designed to sway sympathies toward Erdogan ahead of an April 16 referendum regarding the powers of the president.

Turkey is also the most prolific jailer of journalists in the world, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, and the country ranked 151 of 180 in Reporters Without Borders' 2016 edition of the World Press Freedom Index.

Follow the Hashtag - #FreeDeniz

mz/msh (Reuters, dpa)