Journalist Mehmet Yetim detained following coverage of child abuse

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Mehmet Yetim, the owner and managing editor of the Kulis TV news portal, was detained after reporting on the alleged harassment of a three-year-old girl by a 74-year-old man in Urfa, southeastern Turkey.

The incident unfolded in the Camii Kebir neighborhood, where a distressing video surfaced on social media, showing an elderly individual purportedly engaging in inappropriate behavior towards a young girl near a local coffee shop. Yetim covered the incident, shedding light on the matter.

According to Yetim's account, authorities took action following a complaint from the child's family, resulting in the arrest of a 60-year-old individual identified as H.Ç. Urfa Bar Association President Abdullah Öncel corroborated the seriousness of the harassment allegations.

The governor's office issued a written statement confirming that the incident took place on June 22 and the 74-year-old suspect was subsequently arrested on June 23. A publication and broadcast ban was enforced, prohibiting the dissemination of further information regarding the case.

Amidst these developments, Yetim himself was unexpectedly taken into custody. In a statement relayed through his attorney, İbrahim Halil Aydın, Yetim expressed his current situation:

"Unfortunately, I have been detained for the post I shared. What I have done is to practice my profession in order to protect the rights of an innocent child."

"If I have been detained arbitrarily because of this, it would be an honor for me. If our esteemed President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Minister of Interior Ali Yerlikaya, and Minister of Justice Yılmaz Tunç were aware of this arbitrary situation and those who gave the order, I wonder what they would say?"

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(HA/VK)