Turkish protests: BBC reporter arrested and deported

In a major update, a BBC correspondent has been arrested and deported from Turkey after reporting on the ongoing protests in the country. The reporter had been arrested in Istanbul on March 26 and detained for 17 hours, according to the broadcaster.

The raging Turkish protests are prompted by the recent arrest of Ekrem İmamoğlu, the mayor of Istanbul. He is seen as the main opponent of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and is being held on corruption charges, that he denies.

The deportation of the BBC reporter comes after other journalists have been arrested amid the demonstrations. Tens of thousands of people are protesting across Turkey. More than 1,850 people have been detained, including 11 journalists.

In a statement, the BBC correspondent just arrested and deported from the country highlighted: “Press freedom and impartial reporting are fundamental to any democracy.” He said he had earlier lived in Turkey for 5 years.