Turk journalist released
Photojournalist for Agence France-Presse Mustafa Ozer was released in Turkey yesterday. He had been arrested three days ago after being suspected of having contacts with separatists.
Ozer declared that he had not been officially charged and recalled that he had been interrogated for 20 hours.
The photojournalist was arrested during a special operation held in 7 Turkish cities. Police had investigated his house and had confiscated the journalist's documents.
Besides the photojournalist, on December 20, police arrested 47 people, of which 20 were journalists. They were all suspected of collaborating with the Union of Kurdish Communities organization, which is the political wing of the PKK and is generally known as a terrorist organization in Turkey.
Anatolia agency reports that Ozer was released with 6 other people under arrest and 41 people are still in prison.
In 2009, Turkish authorities arrested 700 people charged with having contacts with separatists. The "For Peace and Democracy" Party had declared that there were more than 3,500 people arrested.
