Access to the German daily BILD’s website has been blocked by the Turkish government, several media outlets reported on Wednesday.
The decision came after BILD released reports severely criticizing the recent arrest of Deniz Yücel, a reporter for German daily Die Welt.
Yücel, who was detained in Turkey on Feb. 14 as part of an investigation for publishing stories on the leaked emails of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s son-in-law and Energy Minister Berat Albayrak, was arrested by a court on Monday.
The prosecutor had accused Yücel of “disseminating the propaganda of a terrorist organization” and “inciting people to hatred and enmity.”
German press organizations on Feb. 19 called on Turkish authorities to release Yücel. After a detention warrant was issued for Yücel, he turned himself in to police in İstanbul.
German Journalists Union (DJV) President Frank Überall, who spoke to the Evrensel daily, said Yücel should be released immediately. (turkeypurge.com) Feb. 28, 2017