All four Turkish journalists detained in Egypt released

CAIRO - Anadolu Agency

All four Turkish journalists who had been detained by the Egyptian authorities earlier today have been released, Turkish ambassador to Cairo Hüseyin Avni Botsalı told Anadolu Agency.

Reporter Fatih Er and cameraman Tufan Güzelgün from A Haber were released, shortly after reporter Murat Uslu and cameraman Zafer Karakaş from Star TV were also released.
After his release, Uslu told private broadcaster NTV that they had been taken into custody after being handcuffed and blindfolded by armed people not wearing uniforms. Authorities told them that they were being detained for not having accreditation from the press center, but Uslu said they were carrying an official paper.

The Turkish Embassy in Cairo immediately contacted the Egyptian Foreign Ministry soon after Uslu and Karakaş's detention was reported, the news coordinator of Star TV, Nazlı Öztarhan, said via Twitter. The Turkish Press Council had also appealed to the foreign ministry for their release.

Uslu also said he saw Er and Güzelgün at the same detention center.