Turkey arrests German national for spreading ‘terrorist propaganda’

HATAY

A German national was arrested in Turkey’s southern province of Hatay for “spreading terrorist propaganda on social media,” Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency reported on July 25.

Dennis E., a German citizen of Turkish origin, was detained by anti-terror police in Hatay’s Arsuz district for allegedly making propaganda in favor of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) on his social media accounts.

He was arrested by the court following an interrogation by the public prosecutor in the district of İskenderun, state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

The PKK, which has waged a three-decade insurgency against the Turkish state, is designated a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.

Turkey has intensified anti-terror operations both inside Turkey, and in Iraqi and Syrian territories since July 2015, when a peace process between the Turkish government and the PKK to end the conflict that has claimed about 40,000 lives collapsed.

Relations between Turkey and Germany were strained last year after Turkish authorities held German-Turkish journalist Deniz Yücel in jail, after indicting him for security offences.

Yücel was released in February, removing a key irritant in ties between the two allies, but German officials remain deeply concerned about Turkey’s deteriorating record on human rights and freedoms.