Turkey becoming minefield for foreign journalists

Source:al Monitor Date:09Mar2019

This article is worth reading, because it also explains  why Turkey’s efforts to improve with Germany and EU at large are at an impasse.

Why is the government turning Turkey into a minefield for foreign reporters?

Given that European journalists in particular are being crossed off, one could interpret the accreditation denial as a form of retaliation against the EU; Turkish-EU political and diplomatic tensions have risen significantly in recent years.

German journalists Deniz Yucel and Mesale Tolu, both of Turkish descent, spent a year and eight months behind bars respectively amid storms in Turkish-German relations in 2017. They were made political bargaining chips before being released and allowed to return to Germany last year.

The score-settling with the EU aside, Ankara refuses to acknowledge its domestic problems, including a serious economic crisis, and instead is trying to black out the realities. Hence, any uncontrollable media is a serious problem for the government.