Merkel demands release of jailed journalist Yucel in Turkey

Berlin: Chancellor Angela Merkel has demanded the release of German journalist Deniz Yucel from Turkish custody.

Merkel called on Turkey to free Yucel and said Wednesday night that “independent journalism must be able to exist” journalists must be able to do their job.”

Yucel, 43, who was detained in Istanbul on Feb. 14 over his reports in German daily Welt about a hacker attack on the email account of Turkey’s energy minister, wrote defiantly in Welt on Thursday that “even though they robbed my freedom, their interrogations and reasoning still make me laugh.”

Yucel, who has both German and Turkish citizenship, was jailed Monday pending a trial on charges of terrorist propaganda and inciting hatred. On Wednesday he was taken to a prison in Silivri, 80 kilometres west of Istanbul.