 on Sunday called on Turkey to release three journalists detained over video footage filmed near İncirlik Air Base, a major facility in southern Turkey that hosts US troops.){kind=link}
The Turkish Journalists’ Union (TGS) on Sunday called on Turkey to release three journalists detained over video footage filmed near İncirlik Air Base, a major facility in southern Turkey that hosts US troops.
The footage was recorded near the base for the independent Anka news agency as Israel and the US began striking Iran. Iran later fired missiles at Gulf states hosting US bases and at Israel, widening the regional conflict.
TGS said those detained include Anka editor-in-chief Kenan Şener, Koza TV reporter Sergen Ölçer and Koza TV general manager Mehlika Bilen. Koza TV was contracted to supply broadcast footage to Anka, the union said.
“It is unacceptable that journalists doing their jobs on a topic closely related to a conflict breaking out in our region be detained,” TGS said in a statement posted on X, adding that the journalists must be released immediately.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said the detentions were linked to alleged violations of Turkey’s law on restricted military and security zones.
After a complaint was filed, Anka halted the broadcast and removed the footage from its website. The agency apologized, saying it regretted “misunderstandings” caused by its social media posts and live broadcasts, which it said were part of its journalistic work.
Turkey also hosts a NATO early-warning radar at Kürecik base in Malatya province that can detect missile launches from Iran. Ankara has repeatedly denied that radar data has ever been used to help Israel, but Iran has criticized the radar’s presence in Turkey.
© Agence France-Presse