Presidency's Director of Communications Fahrettin Altun stated that the shameless operation targeting Turkish journalists legally operating in Germany and those keeping silent have done something completely unacceptable.
Director of Communications Altun commented on the US State Department's Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel's failure to respond to a question from a TRT World Washington correspondent about two Turkish journalists arrested by German police.
"Blind leading the blind! Director of Communications Altun stated that both the shameless operation targeting Turkish journalists legally operating in Germany and those keeping silent have done something completely unacceptable, adding that those daring to lecture Türkiye, where hundreds of foreign reporters work freely, at every turn have revealed the true face of their so-called values today.
Director of Communications noted the following:
"It is perfectly clear that this operation, intended to intimidate Turkish journalists, was planned with the assumption that certain politicians, who promised to make Türkiye toe the Western line in their meeting with foreign ambassadors, could actually win on May 14. One way or another, you will come to terms with the fact that Türkiye will continue to be a great state that defends its citizens and hold accountable anyone daring to hurt them under the strong leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan."
Patel's response
Upon the question by the Turkish journalist, "It's just an awful intimidation and treatment of journalists, would you not say?" recalling that two Turkish journalists were taken under arrest in Germany, an EU Member and NATO ally, Patel stated that he did not know the specifics of the case and rejected comment on it.
When the journalists said, "You don't know the specifics of many cases when it's the press freedom", Patel responded, "I reject the premise of your question. When we do not have information sufficiently about any specific case, we don't comment on them. This is an issue I would let you speak to local German law enforcement. Broadly, of course, the treatment of journalists and press freedom is something that we have spoken quite clearly about but I have nothing additional to add on that."