Turning a blind eye to the terror suspects it hosts, Germany expressed concern about Deniz Yücel, a German-Turkish citizen accused of aiding a terrorist group. Yücel, a correspondent for Die Welt, was detained in Istanbul last week as part of an investigation into RedHack, a band of hackers known for their terror links. He was one of the suspects in an investigation into the hackers' illegal activities and is accused of helping them by disseminating their propaganda. German authorities tie Yücel's detention to his journalism work.
"We want to do everything in our power in order to support press freedom," Martin Schaefer, spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry, told reporters on Monday about the case, pledging to pursue efforts to secure Yücel's release. All suspects in the case were linked to RedHack and were accused of disseminating propaganda for the 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.
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