Istanbul – A Syrian journalist returning to Turkey after collecting an award in London was detained at the main international airport and is at risk of deportation, her organisation said on Wednesday.
Kholoud Waleed, 31, won the Reach-all-Women-in War award for her reports on the Syrian civil war with Enab Baladi, a media outlet operating in rebel-held areas of the country.
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According to a report published by Enab Baladi, Waleed was detained over problems with her residency card.
Report says over 2 million Syrians live in Turkey; many of them fled from the conflict in their homeland.
In February, Turkey, a staunch backer of the Syrian rebels, detained opposition journalist Rami Jarrah for several days, in a move that sparked outrage among press freedom advocates.
Turkish authorities had taken over a number of critical media outlets, including newspapers and television stations, while leftist media houses were also facing restrictions.
However, Turkish President Prime Recep Erdogan, who has led Turkey since 2003, first as prime minister and since 2014 as president, insisted Turkey has the freest media in the world. (dpa/NAN)
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