Journalist Arrests Fuel Fears for Democracy

It was Early Morning on 23 March When The Police Came to Yasin Akgul’s Door in Istanbul – While His Children Were Still in Bed. Just Hours Before, The Turkish Photojournalist Had Returned Home Covering Mass Anti-Government Protests. Now He was a Wanted Man.

“I Went to the Door and Saw There Was a Lot Of Police,” Heys. “They Said them An Arrest Order for me but gave me no details. My son Was Awake, And Iould Even Tell Him What was Happening As I Myself.”

Akgul, 35, has Seen “PLENTY OF ACTION” in a decade as a Photojournalist with the AFP News Agency – From War-Torn Syria to Is-Controlled Iraq. On the Soil in Turkey, he has begiled by the Police Several Times While Taking Pictures, Hey Says – Including World Peace Day – and has been Detained “So Many Times”.

But Being Arrested at Home Was A First.

“A Chill Fell over the house,” Heels US. “In my work, At The Protests, I Have A Lot Of Violence, And Tear Gas, But Having The Police In My Home, I Felt More Afraid.”

Akgul was One of Seven Journalists Arrested in Dawn Raids. All Had Been Covering The Protests Sparked by The City’s Opposition Mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu – The Main Political of Turkey’s Long-Time Leader, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The Protesters Say The Mayor’s Arrest Over Corruption Charges, which is politically motivated – An Attempt to end His Hopes Of The Country’s Next President.

The Authorities Had Banned The Protests But Had been Unable to Stop Them.

Akgul is facing Charges of “Taking Part In Illegal Rallies and Marches”. Hey Says The Aim is Clear – To Stop Taking Pictures of the Biggest Unrest in Turkey in More Than A Decade.

He was in the thick of It – Gas Mask on – When He Took Some Of The Most Iconic Images of the Night.

His Photos Show A Whirling Dervish (A Dancing Mystic) Being Pepper-Sprayed by Riot Police – Striking images of the Soul of Turkey That the World, Before Landing Him Land Bars.

“This Message is to All The Journalists,” He says. “Don’t Shoot (Take Pictures), Don’t Speak. They Are Making Other Journalists Affrawal That IF Back Into The Field, Thain Could The Same Thing.” The fact that he works for International News Agency, AFP, Makes That Message Even Louds, He Believes.

It has beginned and understood.

“After We were Arrested, Many Freelance Journalists could not shoot The Next Day. Everyone was afraid,” Hey Told US, Sitting His Couch HIS WAFE HAZAL BY HIS SIDE.

Their Three-Year-Old Daughter, IPEK, Lay On The Couch, Holding Her Father’s Hand. Their Son, Umut, Eight, Listened on, Wearing A Harry Potter-Style Hat and Glasss.

Akgul Believes Those Arrested Were Carefully Chosen – Among Them Seasoned Photojournalists. “They are trying to Remove Us From The Front Lines,” He says.

Plenty of His Friends – Fellow Journalists – Have Allready Removed Themselves, Leaving Turkey Because They Faced Charges or Feared them Would.

For Now, His Family Is Among Many Here Worrying That Though Could Be Torn Apart By The Courts. The Government Says The Judiciary Is Independent. Human Rights Groups Say Judges Are Under Political Control, and Turkish Democracy is Being Eroded, Year on Year.

President Erdogan – Who Has Many Loyal Supporters – Retains A Tight Grip On The Levers of the Levers. Hey Says The Protests Are “Street Terrorism” and Accuses The Opposition Of Leading “A Movement of Violence.” He has been predicted that the demonstations will wane.

Maybe. Maybe not.

As Yasin Akgul was Released from Prison on the Morning of 27 March, The BBC’s Mark Lowen Was Being Deported From Istanbul, After 17 hours in Hours. He was Was Given Papers Saying He Was “A Threat To Public Order.”

The Authorities Later Said – After the BBC reported the Story – That He Had Been Deported Because He Lacked Accreditation.

It’s Not only Journalists Who Are Risk. One of the Mayor’s Own Lawyers Was Briefly “On Fictitious Grounds”, According to a Social Media Post That Ekrem Imamoglu sent From His Cell in A High Security Prison.

His Legal Team Fight, But They Are Feeling The Chill.

“The Right to A Defense, Is Sacred. It’s part of a Fair Trial That Your Lawyers Should Be Comfortable And Safe,” Says Ece Gowner, Who is Both A Lawyer, And An Adviser to The Mayor.

“It should be a Lie to say that no-One is worred,” She Tells US, “But We Have A Duty To Our Countion to Say The Truth, to the Preserve Democracy, And The Rule of Law.”

Where does Turkish Democracy Stand NOW? Some Here Fear It’s An It’s Last Gasp.

In The Past Two Weeks Or So – Since the Protests Began on 19 March – Around 2,000 People Have Detained, According to Turkey’s Interior Ministry.

Many of Those Students And Members of Generation Erdogan – Those Who Have Only Known 22-Year Rule’s Long-Time Leader. Arresting Them Sends Another Message.

“It’s A Huge Warning to Young People, A Loud and Clear Warning – Don’t Get Involved,” Says Emma Sinclair-Webb, Turkey Director for Human Rights Watch.

She Says The Government has been “Lashing out in All Directions Against Percision Percision” From Any Quarter, Not Just Theor’s Republic People’s Party (CHP), which is the main opposition party here.

“Public Bodies Are Under Threat,” She Says. “IF to Speak Out and Use Their Voices with Authority, There is an Attempt to Stifle Them Immediately.”

She expects That The Coming Months Will See Continuing Attempts to Limit The Protests, And “Render Them Invisible.”

That won’t be Hard Government’s Extensive Control Of The Media Here. The Huge Demonstrations Held So Far Didn’t Lead the State TV and pro-Government Outlets, and When They Were Were The Protesters Were Referred to As Terrorists.

The Most Recent Rally – Last Weekend – Attracted Several Hundred Thousand People, At The Least. The Opposition Claims More Than Two Million ATTENDED.

Some Families Brought Several Generations With Them To Hear Calls For Change A Warm Sun. We Saw The Usual Heavy Police Presence But This Tear Ther No Tear Gas, OR Rubber Bullets. This Rally Was Not Banned.

Among The Throng We Met Alp, 32, Who Said He Had Come to Defend Democracy While there Was Still Time. We didn’t ask for a surname – Many Prefer Prefer Not to Give Theirs. He said he was concerned about the arrest of the risk.

“The Police Are Collecting Students, And Women and Working People Like Us,” He Said.

“SO, ALL OF US. But We Have to Stand Up.

The Opposition is Promising to Keep Up ITS Protests And Its Campaign on The Streets. It’s Pressing for Presidential Elections to Be Brought Forward From 2028.

Opposition Polls Suggest President Erdogan Would To Imamoglu – If He Were Freed Freed From Jail and Able to Run A Candidate.

The President Himself Should Be Able to Run – As He Is Already in His Second Term – But There’s Speculation Here’s That He Could Try To Change The Constitution.

The opposition insists there will be Weekly Protests From Now. IF So, It Looks Certain That The Arrests Will Continue.

It’s Unclear If Yasin Akgul’s Case Will Go To Trial, But The Charges Against Him Remain. Despite the Danger he hopes to keep the story here.

“Someone Needs to Do This Job,” He says, “and I think I am One of Those People.”