Macron presses Turkey over detained French photojournalist

Image
AFP Paris
Last Updated : Jun 04 2017 | 2:13 AM IST
French President Emmanuel Macron today again urged Turkey to release a French photojournalist held for nearly a month, saying he should be freed urgently.
In a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Macron "restated his call to see (Mathias) Depardon brought home as soon as possible", Macron's Elysee Palace office said.
Depardon was detained on May 8 while on assignment in Hasankeyf in the southeastern Batman province for National Geographic magazine. He has been held ever since despite reports he would be deported.
Two weeks after he was detained, Depardon, 36, went on hunger strike, only stopping nearly a week later when he learned a consular visit would be allowed.
He was later visited by a French consul representative at an immigration department-run centre in the southeastern city of Gaziantep.
The visit followed Macron broaching his case with Erdogan during a NATO summit in Brussels on May 25. Erdogan promised he would "rapidly" look into the issue.
Another visit by French embassy representatives had been scheduled yesterday, the same day that the French foreign ministry said it was "actively working" on Depardon's release.
Depardon was detained over "propaganda for a terror group" -- a reference to outlawed Kurdish militants -- which could lead to a judicial investigation, according to Turkish authorities.

Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content

*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Jun 04 2017 | 2:13 AM IST

Next Story