BBC journalist Mark Lowen deported from Turkey after covering protests

BBC correspondent Mark Lowen was deported from Turkey today after being detained by police in İstanbul for 17 hours, according to a statement from the British state broadcaster. 

Lowen was taken into custody at his hotel yesterday, where he was staying to cover the recent wave of protests following the arrest of İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, according to the statement.

The reason for Lowen's deportation was that he was labeled as a "threat to public order," the journalist said in a social media post. "Journalism is not a crime," he wrote.

After his arrival in London, Lowen said, “To be detained and deported from the country where I previously lived for five years and for which I have such affection has been extremely distressing. Press freedom and impartial reporting are fundamental to any democracy," as quoted by BBC.

BBC News CEO Deborah Turness described the incident as “extremely troubling” and said the broadcaster would be making formal representations to the Turkish authorities. “Mark is a very experienced correspondent with a deep knowledge of Turkey and no journalist should face this kind of treatment simply for doing their job,” she said.

Lowen, who worked in Turkey for many years, covered major events such as the 2013 Gezi Park protests, the 2017 "Justice March" by the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), and the 2021 Boğaziçi University protests. During those times, he was also specifically targeted by pro-government media outlets.

This marks the third case of a foreign journalist being deported from Turkey in recent months. On Mar 16, Belgian journalist Chris Den Hond, who had traveled to cover Newroz celebrations, was denied entry and deported from the airport. In November, Canadian journalist Neil Hauer faced a similar situation. Both reporters said they were informed they were on a "blacklist."

Pressure on journalists during İmamoğlu protests

Journalists and media outlets in Turkey have also faced pressure over their coverage of the protests that erupted following the Mar 19 arrest of the mayor.

A total of 11 journalists have been detained over their reporting since the protests began. On Mar 24, seven journalists were detained in house raids after prosecutors accused them of participating in the protests rather than reporting on them. They were released after spending three days in custody.

Turkey’s media regulator imposed harsh penalties on pro-opposition television channels for their protest coverage, including a 10-day full broadcast blackout for Sözcü TV.

A court also ordered the blocking of hundreds of X accounts, including that of bianet, although the ruling has not yet been enforced. (HA/VK)