Access to detained terror suspect relaxed for Germany
The German Foreign Ministry was grateful to Turkey after consular access was granted for Deniz Yücel, a German-Turkish terror suspect placed in detention in January. Turkey is not obliged to provide access for German consulate officials to meet Yücel but Germany has been pressing Ankara on the issue, citing Yücel's profession as a journalist. Yücel is accused of terrorist propaganda and incitement to hatred as well as helping hackers linked to terrorist groups by disseminating their propaganda and was a suspect in an anti-terror investigation. Originally a correspondent for Die Welt, Yücel's detention caused an outcry in Germany where Yücel's profession was used in campaigns blaming Turkey for imprisoning a journalist.
Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel thanked his Turkish counterpart Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu for granting consular access to Yücel who caused a stir in relations between Turkey and Germany, which is accused by Ankara of harboring terrorists.
Gabriel said that he had pressed Germany's case for diplomatic access to Yücel in one-on-one talks with his Turkish counterpart Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu on the sidelines of a NATO meeting on Friday, and that Çavuşoğlu came through, telling him verbally at the weekend it would be granted.
"This morning Turkey also officially confirmed that we will receive access to Deniz Yücel tomorrow finally so that we can determine for ourselves his wellbeing after difficult days in custody," Gabriel said in a statement yesterday.
All the suspects in Yücel's case were linked to RedHack and were accused of disseminating propaganda for this hackers' community, which is designated as a terrorist group in Turkey. Five suspects were detained in the case while Yücel, who lives in Germany, has eluded detention.
Germany has long been criticized for offering a safe haven for terror suspects from the PKK and the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) by Ankara. Berlin was also under fire for embracing Can Dündar, a journalist who faced terror charges in Turkey over a case involving revealing state secrets. Dündar, who currently resides in Europe while he is being tried in absentia, was received by then President Joachim Gauck last year in Berlin.
Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel thanked his Turkish counterpart Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu for granting consular access to Yücel who caused a stir in relations between Turkey and Germany, which is accused by Ankara of harboring terrorists.
Gabriel said that he had pressed Germany's case for diplomatic access to Yücel in one-on-one talks with his Turkish counterpart Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu on the sidelines of a NATO meeting on Friday, and that Çavuşoğlu came through, telling him verbally at the weekend it would be granted.
"This morning Turkey also officially confirmed that we will receive access to Deniz Yücel tomorrow finally so that we can determine for ourselves his wellbeing after difficult days in custody," Gabriel said in a statement yesterday.
All the suspects in Yücel's case were linked to RedHack and were accused of disseminating propaganda for this hackers' community, which is designated as a terrorist group in Turkey. Five suspects were detained in the case while Yücel, who lives in Germany, has eluded detention.
Germany has long been criticized for offering a safe haven for terror suspects from the PKK and the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) by Ankara. Berlin was also under fire for embracing Can Dündar, a journalist who faced terror charges in Turkey over a case involving revealing state secrets. Dündar, who currently resides in Europe while he is being tried in absentia, was received by then President Joachim Gauck last year in Berlin.