BBC Reporter Mark Lowen Deported After Covering Protests in Turkey

Mark Lowen's deportation from Turkey has sparked concerns over press freedom amidst ongoing protests related to the jailing of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who critics say is being politically targeted by President Erdogan.

BBC correspondent Mark Lowen has faced deportation from Turkey after a harrowing experience of arrest in Istanbul on Wednesday, according to a statement from the BBC. Lowen had been in the country for several days reporting on protests that erupted following the arrest of Ekrem Imamoglu, the Mayor of Istanbul. Imamoglu, a key political rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has been detained on corruption charges, which he denies, raising eyebrows over potential political motivations behind his arrest.

On Thursday, the BBC reported that Turkish authorities expelled Lowen after detaining him for 17 hours. He was informed the reason for his deportation was that he posed “a threat to public order.” Reflecting on the experience, Lowen expressed distress over being deported from a country where he had previously resided for five years, underscoring the vital importance of press freedom and impartial journalism in democracies.

Deborah Turness, CEO of BBC News, condemned the incident as troubling, emphasizing Lowen's expertise and the unjust treatment he faced for executing his journalistic duties. She asserted that the BBC would continue to deliver fair and impartial coverage of events in Turkey.

The protests, which have seen over 1,400 individuals detained, are fueled by claims that Imamoglu’s arrest is a politically inspired maneuver. In response, President Erdogan has decried the demonstrations as “evil,” attributing blame to the opposition for creating unrest.

While many journalists, including a photojournalist from Agence France Presse, have faced arrest, some have been released, signifying the tense environment for media freedom in Turkey. Although nightly demonstrations have ceased, the main opposition party in Turkey, the Republican People's Party (CHP), is preparing for a rally in Istanbul this weekend, signaling ongoing public discontent.