Two journalists from Turkey detained in Athens

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Two journalists from Turkey, Çağdaş Kaplan and Berçem Mordeniz, captured the battery and detention of one person by police in Syntagma Square in Athens, the capital city of Greece. Journalists themselves have also been battered and taken into custody by the police following the incident.

While they have been detained despite showing their international press cards, they have been taken to the Acropolis Police Station.

Gazeteci arkadaşlarımız Çağdaş Kaplan (@KaplanCagdas1) ve Berçem Mordeniz (@BercemMordeniz), Atina Syntagma Meydanı’nda polis şiddetini görüntüledikleri için darp edilerek gözaltına alındı. pic.twitter.com/rWxN8JUoth

— Nuri Akman (@AkmNuri) August 9, 2020

Kaplan, an editor for daily Yeni Yaşam, has made a call to international press freedom organizations there and demanded a lawyer.

Sending a message to Gazete Karınca news website based in Turkey, Kaplan has indicated that both he and Berçem Mordeniz were battered while being detained and they were handcuffed from behind.

"Those who witnessed the police violence were not allowed to enter the police station. Citizens wanted to testify as witnesses, but they were not allowed," Çağdaş Kaplan has added.

Indicating that Berçem Mordeniz has asthma, Kaplan has also said that "she is not given her medication and they are not given even water."

According to Kaplan, no measures have been taken against the coronavirus outbreak in the police station, they are held in the same detention room with 40 others and they are subjected to torture.

Kaplan and Mordeniz will be referred to courthouse today (August 10). (HA/SD)