Medin, an experienced foreign journalist who works for the newspaper Dagens ETC, was detained in connection with his way to report from major democracy protests in Istanbul on Thursday. The Swede is formally accused of participation in the terror -stamped Kurdish organization PKK and for insulting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, according to official message that expires via the Presidential Office’s platform. “This arrest order has nothing to do with his journalistic work,” that is called. Erdogan doll Turkey connects Joakim Medin with a demonstration that took place in Stockholm in January 2023, where a doll depicting President Erdogan was hanged outside the City Hall. The protest was organized by the Kurdish activist group Rojava committees, which have already gone out and announced that Medin was not part of their action and has never been a member. Nor has Turkey presented anything that would indicate that Medin was part of PKK. The Turkish authorities reacted with force to the dock action – in a situation where the country still placed sharp demands on Sweden in an ongoing natope process – and claims to have pointed out a total of 15 suspects. The mail from the presidential office in Ankara claims that journalist Medin is “known for his anti-Turkish news”. Motes protests Turkish authorities have hit hard against extensive and democratically motivated protests in the country this past week. They erupted after a probable challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan – Istanbul’s mayor Ekrem Imamoglu – was imprisoned based on contested corruption accusations. Turkey connoisseurs believe that Erdogan has recently laid grounds for being able to stand for a new term as president, which will require an adjustment of the Turkish Constitution.
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