The Turkish authorities have expelled a Greek journalist from the country. Evangelos Areteos, who has been working in Turkey for 23 years, says he was prevented from entering the country at an Istanbul airport. The authorities justified this by saying that he “endangers public order”, he wrote on Twitter. Areteos, for the newspaper real news and other Greek and Greek Cypriot media, has lived in the country for eight years and has written books on Turkey. The journalist stressed that he is accredited in Turkey and has the press card of the authorities.
According to his own statements, he was questioned for seven hours upon entry: “As far as I understood from your questions, the main reason is my trips to the south-east of Turkey, a trip to the north of Syria in 2015 and my other trips through Turkey.” The border police complained about photos on his cell phone that showed Kurds in northern Syria and that he received as a member of a Whatsapp group. “Like any reporter who reports, I receive news and photos on my cell phone.”
Authorities say the case has nothing to do with “Greek aggression.”
The most important Syrian Kurdish organizations are considered terrorist groups in Turkey. Observers believe that any contact with them could cost journalists their jobs. Others suspect that the expulsion could be related to Turkey’s deteriorating relationship with Greece. The neighboring countries are arguing about borders and energy reserves in the Mediterranean. When asked, the communications directorate responsible for the media denied such a background, citing a member of the government: “This case has nothing to do with Greek aggression and maximalist demands in the Aegean and eastern Mediterranean.”
The CPJ, the Committee to Protect Journalists, called on the authorities to let Areteos work unhindered. His many years of work should “not end without a hitch just because the authorities don’t approve of his work”.