Germany's foreign minister Heiko Maas has strongly criticized Turkey's decision to revoke the accreditation of three German journalists, calling the move "unacceptable" and vowing to challenge it. The journalists—Thomas Seibert of Tagesspiegel, Jörg Brase of ZDF, and Halil Gülbeyaz of NDR TV—were given 10 days to leave the country, marking what appears to be the first formal rejection of foreign press credentials by Turkish authorities.
The expulsion has reignited international concerns about Turkey's crackdown on press freedom, particularly following the 2016 failed coup attempt. Since then, over 107,000 public sector workers have been dismissed as part of a government purge targeting alleged supporters of cleric Fetullah Gülen, who is blamed for the coup. Dozens of journalists, including staff from the opposition Cumhuriyet newspaper, have faced imprisonment on terrorism charges.
A senior advisor to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan denied claims of a press crackdown, but journalists described the action as part of a broader strategy to restrict foreign media. Brase, who previously worked in Iran, noted that Turkey—despite being a NATO member—has imposed stricter restrictions. "After silencing domestic media, the government is now targeting international outlets," he said.
Maas emphasized that free press is essential for democracy, stating, "Without a critical press, there is no free democracy." He confirmed that Turkey's foreign minister was aware of Germany's stance. Meanwhile, journalist Deniz Yücel, who holds dual German-Turkish citizenship, remains a symbol of the ongoing tensions after spending a year in Turkish detention on espionage charges.
