The journalist Deniz Yücel has left Turkey. An airplane with German-Turkish journalists on board started on Friday evening in Istanbul, as a photographer of news agency AFP reported at airport. Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel (SPD) had said in afternoon that he was expecting Yücel to come to Germany on Friday.

Previously, a court ordered release of German-Turkish journalist after sitting in remand custody for more than a year. However, court also allowed an indictment derStaatsanwaltschaft, which wegenTerrorunterstützung up to 18 years of imprisonment.

Gabriel said that all conversation formats should also be set in motion again in order to discuss fundamental issues with Turkey. He was particularly grateful to his Turkish counterpart, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, with whom he had held many talks. The latter had "made way to create new trust" and had created opportunities to speak.

According to Gabriel's data, Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder (SPD) had twice flown to Turkey. He is said to have tried to obtain release of Yücels in conversation with Turkish head of state Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Many representatives from politics and journalism responded with great joy to release. Among cheers, however, was also concern that federal government bought release with concessions. The Turkish journalist can Dündar fears that case of Yücel could have set a precedent.

Gabriel: No deals with Turkish government

The release of Yücels will have negative consequences, "because Erdoğan now knows that it is possible to negotiate on detained journalists," said ex-editor-in-chief of government-critical newspaper Cumhuriyet, who lived in exile in Berlin. "Erdoğan has gotten something in return, we just don't know what. So why shouldn't he have or journalists arrested? "

Responsible for release of Yücels is, according to Dündars conviction, a decision of Turkish Government. Chancellor Angela Merkel had asked that Turkish president decided to release Yücel. "This is how legal system works in Turkey."

The left-wing Bundestag group vice-Sam Dağdelen also raised question of price federal government paid for release: "I ask Chancellor to make a government declaration in next part-session and to publicly report to Parliament To explain what was offered in return, "said Dağdelen to German radio. After all, Erdoğan always "demanded a return" for a release.

Gabriel denied that. "I can assure you that re are no appointments, counter-benefits or, as some call it, deals in context," said SPD politician. Political influence was at best at "procedural acceleration".

According to CDU foreign Policy minister Norbert Röttgen, release does not automatically lead to a fundamental improvement in German-Turkish relations. He was relieved at end of "power tactical hostage-taking" Yücels, said chairman of Foreign Affairs Committee in Bundestag on ZDF. But this does not make much better because Turkish president Erdoğan will remain in his power scheme to turn Turkey into an authoritarian system and to dismantle democracy and rule of law. Röttgen pointed out that or Germans were in custody without a legal base, as did hundreds of Turkish journalists.

After coup attempt in Turkey in July 2016, Erdogan had imposed a state of emergency and called "cleansing". Since n, more than 50,000 people have been detained, more than 150,000 civil servants have been suspended or dismissed. Since n, EU has been increasingly concerned about human rights situation and has criticised Turkey's being removed from rule of law. Erdoğan rejects this regularly.

Date Of Update: 17 February 2018, 12:02