“50 years ago I was expelled from the Turkish part of Cyprus. Just because I was a journalist. It is an absurd story.” With these words, reporter Roger Pettersson expresses his indignation about Turkey. In an article in Enköpingsposten newspaper Roger describes how he was expelled from the occupied territories in 1975.
“It is not particularly surprising that Swedish journalist Joakim Medin is being held in Turkey on charges of spreading terrorist propaganda.
Turkish authorities and politicians have, to put it mildly, a different view of freedom of expression, free journalism, and democracy.
Photographer Stig Norling and I visited Cyprus in the spring of 1975 on behalf of Enköpingsposten and we met, among others, Swedish UN soldiers Bo Ahlin and Christer Deger from Ensöping. They were serving with the UN in Famagusta.
Last year, Turkey invaded the northern part of Cyprus.
We also delivered a package of clothes to a family living in a village on the poor Turkish-occupied side of Cyprus. The family was related to residents of Ensöping.
We had UN passports and with the help of a Turkish Cypriot police chief and a senior regional political official, who very kindly drove us to the village, we managed to get there. A strange journey. It could also be considered surveillance.
The next day we were deported. It was without drama and we had the help and protection of the UN to cross into the Greek part of the capital Nicosia.
We never received an explanation from the authorities or the military. No accusations or decisions.
The only explanation is that we were journalists and therefore dangerous to the rulers. Perhaps we had seen something we shouldn't have seen, without realizing it.
Thus wrote Gunnar Svärd, then editor-in-chief of Enköpingsposten:
"Behind this impressive action, there is obviously not only a general reluctance for transparency on the Turkish side. But also a conflict between the political and military Turkish authorities. The army seems not to accept any form of supervision. What is happening in Cyprus is something that the world has a legitimate right to know."
source
https://ypervorioi.blogspot.com/
photo Mateus Andre, image license by freepik.com
