Erdogan’s war on media: Sputnik Turkey chief banned from entering Istanbul, told to fly to Russia
“I landed in Istanbul at 0:40 today with Aeroflot’s flight 2134. The border control staff held me at the passport control for some 10 minutes, then ushered me to the passenger control premises without explaining anything,” Sputnik’s Turkish bureau Chief Tural Kerimov told RT from the waiting room for passengers attending inspection and screening at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport.
Kerimov says he presented all of the documents he had: Russian passport, boarding pass, Turkish press card and Turkish residence permit he had been granted earlier. The Russian journalist specifically stressed that Turkish border guards and airport authorities acted in a polite and supportive manner. The border guards were not informed about the reason for the entry ban, Kerimov insisted.
After being held for about an hour, Kerimov was handed written notification that he is considered unwelcome in the Turkish Republic and his entrance to the country is barred. He was ordered to leave Turkey on the first available flight, but Kerimov insisted that it ought to be an Aeroflot flight. Turkish authorities agreed and he remained until 2:55 p.m. local time (11:55 GMT). Kerimov met with Russia’s consular representative and related the incident.
In an interview with RT, Kerimov said that Turkey has not issued any explanation for denying him entry, but he nevertheless remains hopeful that he will eventually receive one.
“A number of media representatives have been having certain problems in Turkey recently, both figures from the Turkish media and from international news outlets.
I can’t predict what the Turkish authorities plan to do further, but hopefully [we] will be given the reasons for what happened.
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