File photo
ANKARA, Jan 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Turkey’s foreign ministry has summoned the senior Egyptian diplomat in the country to protest against a raid by Egyptian police on the Cairo office of Turkey’s state news agency, Anadolu.
Four employees of the agency, one Turk and three Egyptians, were arrested following a police search on Tuesday night.
Turkey condemned what it called the act of harassment and intimidation against the Turkish press, and called for the immediate release of those arrested.
Relations between the two countries have been strained since the 2013 military coup in Egypt ousted President Mohammed Morsi, whose Muslim Brotherhood administration was supported by Turkey.
At the UNITED NATIONS, the world body demanded the release of four Anadolu Agency employees detained during a raid on agency’s office in Cairo.
“We are aware of the reports that Egyptian security forces raided Anadolu offices in Cairo and reportedly arrested four journalists, including one Turkish national. They’ve been detained in an unknown location,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters in New York of the raid Tuesday.
“We are concerned about these developments as well as about the whereabouts and welfare of those who have been detained.”
As a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Egypt is obliged protect the interests of journalists who are only doing their job, said Dujarric.
“Freedom of expression plays a central role in the effective functioning of a democratic political system,” said the UN spokesman.
“We call for the release of anyone who is detained. We would want to see them released or at least as a minimum have information as to their whereabouts.” — NNN-AGENCIES