'Don't speak, don't film': Journalist arrests fuel fears for democracy after Turkey protests

It was aboriginal greeting connected 23 March erstwhile the constabulary came to Yasin Akgul's doorway successful Istanbul – portion his children were inactive successful bed. Just hours before, the Turkish photojournalist had returned location from covering wide anti-government protests. Now helium was a wanted man.

"I went to the doorway and saw determination was a batch of police," helium says. "They said they had an apprehension bid for maine but gave maine nary details. My lad was awake, and I couldn't adjacent archer him what was happening arsenic I didn't get it myself."

Akgul, 35, has seen "plenty of action" successful much than a decennary arsenic a photojournalist with the AFP quality bureau – from war-torn Syria to IS-controlled Iraq. On location ungraded successful Turkey, helium has been beaten by the constabulary respective times portion taking pictures, helium says - including connected World Peace Day – and has been detained "so galore times".

But being arrested astatine location was a first.

"A chill fell implicit the house," helium tells us. "In my work, astatine the protests, I person seen a batch of violence, and teardrop gas, but having the constabulary successful my home, I felt much afraid."

Akgul was 1 of 7 journalists arrested successful dawn raids. All had been covering the protests sparked by the apprehension of the city's absorption mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu – the main governmental rival of Turkey's long-time leader, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The protesters accidental the mayor's apprehension implicit corruption charges, which helium denies, is politically motivated – an effort to extremity his hopes of becoming the country's adjacent president.

The authorities had banned the protests but had been incapable to halt them.

Akgul is facing charges of "taking portion successful amerciable rallies and marches". He says the purpose is wide – to halt others taking pictures of the biggest unrest successful Turkey successful much than a decade.

He was successful the heavy of it – state disguise connected – erstwhile helium took immoderate of the astir iconic images of the night.

His photos amusement a antheral dressed arsenic a whirling dervish (a dancing mystic) being pepper-sprayed by a enactment of riot constabulary – striking images of a conflict for the psyche of Turkey that went astir the world, earlier landing him down bars.

"This connection is to each the journalists," helium says. "Don't sprout (take pictures), don't speak, don't film. They are making different journalists acrophobic that if they spell backmost into the field, they could look the aforesaid thing." The information that helium works for an planetary quality agency, AFP, makes that connection adjacent louder, helium believes.

It has been received and understood.

"After we were arrested, galore freelance journalists could not sprout the adjacent day. Everyone was afraid," helium told us, sitting connected his sofa astatine location with his woman Hazal by his side.

Their three-year-old daughter, Ipek, laic connected the couch, holding her father's hand. Their son, Umut, eight, listened on, wearing a Harry Potter-style chapeau and glasses.

Akgul believes those arrested were cautiously chosen – among them seasoned photojournalists. "They are trying to region america from the beforehand lines," helium says.

Plenty of his friends – chap journalists - person already removed themselves, leaving Turkey due to the fact that they faced charges oregon feared they would.

For now, his household is among galore present worrying that they could beryllium torn isolated by the courts. The authorities says the judiciary is independent. Human rights groups accidental judges are nether governmental control, and Turkish ideology is being eroded, twelvemonth connected year.

President Erdogan – who has galore loyal supporters - retains a choky grip connected the levers of power. He says the protests are "street terrorism" and accuses the absorption of starring "a question of violence". He has predicted that the demonstrations volition wane.

Maybe. Maybe not.

As Yasin Akgul was being released from situation connected the greeting of 27 March, the BBC's Mark Lowen was being deported from Istanbul, aft 17 hours successful detention. He was fixed papers saying helium was "a menace to nationalist order".

The authorities aboriginal said – aft the BBC reported the communicative – that helium had been deported due to the fact that helium lacked accreditation.

It's not lone journalists who are astatine risk. One of the mayor's ain lawyers was detained concisely "on fictitious grounds", according to a societal media station that Ekrem Imamoglu sent from his compartment successful a precocious information prison.

His ineligible squad combat on, but they excessively are feeling the chill.

"The close to a defence, I think, is sacred. It's portion of a just proceedings that your lawyers should consciousness comfy and safe," says Ece Guner, who is some a lawyer, and an advisor to the mayor.

"It would beryllium a prevarication to accidental that no-one is worried, to beryllium honest," she tells us, "but we inactive consciousness we person a work to our state to accidental the truth, to sphere democracy, and the regularisation of law."

Where does Turkish ideology basal now? Some present fearfulness it's connected its past gasp.

In the past 2 weeks oregon truthful – since the protests began connected 19 March - astir 2,000 radical person been detained, according to Turkey's interior ministry.

Many of those are students and members of Generation Erdogan – those who person lone known the 22-year regularisation of Turkey's long-time leader. Arresting them sends different message.

"It's a immense informing to young people, a large and wide informing – don't get involved," says Emma Sinclair-Webb, Turkey Director for Human Rights Watch.

She says the authorities has besides been "lashing retired successful each directions against perceived opposition" from immoderate quarter, not conscionable the mayor's Republic People's Party (CHP), which is the main absorption enactment here.

"Public bodies are nether threat," she says. "If they talk retired and usage their voices with authority, determination is an effort to stifle them immediately."

She expects that the coming months volition spot continuing attempts to bounds the protests, and "render them invisible".

That won't beryllium hard fixed the government's extended power of the media here. The immense demonstrations held truthful acold didn't pb the bulletins connected authorities TV and pro-government outlets, and erstwhile they were shown the protesters were referred to arsenic terrorists.

The astir caller rally - past play - attracted respective 100 1000 people, astatine the least. The absorption claims much than 2 cardinal radical attended.

Some families brought respective generations with them to perceive calls for alteration nether a lukewarm sun. We saw the accustomed dense constabulary beingness but this clip determination was nary teardrop gas, oregon rubber bullets. This rally was not banned.

Among the throng we met Alp, 32, who said helium had travel to support ideology portion determination was inactive time. We didn't inquire for a surname – galore protesters similar not to springiness theirs. He said helium was acrophobic astir the hazard of arrest.

"The constabulary are collecting students, and women and moving radical similar us," helium said.

"So, each of america are successful information close now. But we person to basal up. That's our lone choice. If we don't bash anything, if we conscionable watch, the conflict is mislaid already."

The absorption is promising to support up its protests and its run connected the streets. It's pressing for statesmanlike elections to beryllium brought guardant from 2028.

Opposition polls suggest President Erdogan would suffer to Imamoglu – if helium were freed from jailhouse and capable to tally arsenic a candidate.

The president himself should not beryllium capable to tally - arsenic helium is already successful his 2nd word - but there's speculation present that helium could effort to alteration the constitution.

The absorption insists determination volition beryllium play protests from present on. If so, it looks definite that the arrests volition continue.

It's unclear if Yasin Akgul's lawsuit volition spell to trial, but the charges against him remain. Despite the information helium hopes to support telling the communicative here.

"Someone needs to bash this job," helium says, "and I deliberation I americium 1 of those people."