BBC Journalist Mark Lowen's Sudden Deportation from Turkey Amid Protests

During his reporting on anti-government protests in Turkey, BBC correspondent Mark Lowen was suddenly detained and deported. He reflects on his experience, raising concerns about the country's diminishing press freedoms and the implications for democracy.

I had just sent my family a message expressing my joy at being back in Turkey, where I had previously lived, feeling a sense of belonging. Moments later, my hotel room phone rang.

“We have an urgent matter to discuss in person,” the receptionist informed me. “Could you come down?”

When I arrived at the lobby, I was greeted by three plain-clothes policemen who requested my passport and led me away, attempting to shield their actions from my colleagues' cameras. I had been in Istanbul for three days, covering the protests ignited by the arrest of the city’s mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu. Initially, I was taken to police headquarters and held for seven hours. My two colleagues were allowed to accompany me, and lawyers were permitted to come in for discussions. The atmosphere was relatively cordial, with some officers expressing their disagreement with the state’s actions. One even hugged me, wishing for my freedom.

By 9:30 PM, I was transferred to the foreigners' custody unit at Istanbul police headquarters. The mood shifted there as I faced a barrage of chain-smoking officers, using my limited Turkish to negotiate. After fingerprinting, I was denied access to any legal counsel or external communication. In the early hours of Thursday, I was handed deportation papers citing my status as “a threat to public order.” When I sought clarification, they attributed it to a government decision. One officer suggested filming a statement claiming I was leaving voluntarily to help facilitate a future return, which I declined, sensing it would be manipulated for state propaganda.

By 2:30 AM, I was relocated to a bare room at the airport's foreigners' custody department. The environment was far from conducive to rest, with police entering frequently and the morning call to prayer echoing outside. Seventeen hours after my initial detention, I found myself being escorted to a flight bound for London. That night, following media reports of my situation, the Turkish government issued a statement claiming I lacked proper accreditation—a justification never presented during my detention.

Throughout this ordeal, I was treated civilly. I was aware that the BBC and the British Consulate were actively working to secure my release. Many others facing similar circumstances in Turkey do not have such support. During my tenure as the BBC Istanbul correspondent from 2014 to 2019, Turkey was notorious for imprisoning the highest number of journalists in the world. Reporters Without Borders ranked Turkey 158th out of 180 in its Press Freedom Index. Since the onset of the current protests, at least eleven journalists have been among the detained, alongside thousands of others.

The unrest began with Imamoglu’s arrest, posing a significant challenge to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who many polls suggest may lose his position in an upcoming election. However, the protests extend beyond this singular incident, reflecting a broader demand for democracy in a nation growing increasingly authoritarian. The government has systematically silenced dissent, exacerbating this situation and highlighting how dire press freedoms have become in Turkey.

While I experienced a frustratingly sleepless night, others caught in the government's clampdowns continue to endure far harsher realities. Presently, Erdogan appears resolute, dismissing the protests as “street terrorism," and feeling bolstered by global influences, including relations with the U.S. As Turkey navigates its most significant public demonstrations in over a decade, the pressing question remains: Will the movement for change prevail, or can Erdogan withstand this growing tide? Those in the streets echo “enough,” yet they are fully aware of the challenges ahead when confronting Erdogan's enduring grip on power.