Turkey confirms Swedish journalist arrested amid protests

A Swedish journalist who was detained on his arrival in Turkey to cover protests over the jailing of Istanbul's mayor has been arrested on terror-related charges and for "insulting the president," the Turkish presidency said Sunday.

Joakim Medin, who works for the Dagens ETC newspaper, "has been arrested on charges of 'membership in an armed terrorist organization' and 'insulting the president'," the presidency said.

Medin was detained on Thursday when his plane landed in Turkey and sent to prison the next day.

In a bulletin published by its "Disinformation Combat Centre," the presidency said Medin was "known for anti-Turkey news and his closeness to the terrorist organization PKK," the banned Kurdish militant group.

"This arrest decision has no connection whatsoever to journalistic activities," it added.

The jailing of Medin came just hours after the authorities released the last of 11 journalists arrested in dawn raids on Monday for covering the protests, among them AFP photographer Yasin Akgul.

Turkish authorities have also deported BBC journalist Mark Lowen, who had been covering the protests, after holding him for 17 hours on Wednesday, saying he posed "a threat to public order," the broadcaster said.

Turkey's communications directorate said Lowen had been deported "due to a lack of accreditation."

Turkish prosecutors had already opened an investigation into Medin in 2023 over a demonstration he joined in Stockholm in which a puppet of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was hung from its feet, according to the presidency's statement Sunday.

It said the Swedish journalist was among 15 suspects believed to have carried out, organized, or publicized the demonstration.

The protest infuriated Turkish authorities, who alleged it was orchestrated by PKK members and summoned Sweden's ambassador to Ankara.

AFP