They were detained by Israeli police during a live broadcast: The behind-the-scenes of the 9-hour interrogation revealed

The two Turkish journalists, who faced intervention while reporting on developments in Israel, shared details regarding the detention process. The team, stopped by Israeli police during a live broadcast, was taken to a police station, interrogated, and subsequently released.

Following the detention, the Israeli police issued a written statement. The statement alleged that police officers on duty in the Tel Aviv area, acting on a tip-off to an emergency hotline, detained two foreign nationals suspected of documenting a security facility via live broadcast.

The police statement indicated that the journalists were warned to stop filming, that it was determined during identity checks that their press cards had expired, and that they were transferred to another location for more detailed questioning.

“DETENTION WHILE FILMING”

Reporter Emrah Çakmak stated that they had been covering news in Israel for a few days and had worked in the country before. Explaining that they had applied for a press card issued by the Israeli Public Broadcasting Authority and possessed all legal permits, Çakmak said they were detained while filming to show the state of the streets in Tel Aviv.

“THE AREA WAS A POINT WHERE CIVIL LIFE CONTINUES”

Çakmak noted that the location where they were situated was an area where families of hostages had previously held demonstrations, that there was a museum in the back, and that there was an area on the opposite side which was later identified as a military compound. He mentioned that businesses in the vicinity were open and people were continuing their daily lives.

Stating that the fact that the camera was pointed at a specific spot was specifically asked about during the interrogation, Çakmak said that an individual approached them to ask who they were and why they were filming, and that they identified themselves as journalists reporting on the developments.

9 HOURS OF WAITING AND PHONE EXAMINATION

The journalists reported that they were kept waiting for a long time without being informed and that their requests to notify their television station were not permitted. It was stated that later, through the initiative of cameraman Halil Kahraman, they were allowed to have a brief phone conversation with Demirören Medya TV Group President Murat Yancı.

They stated that while being put into the police vehicle, the vehicle was cramped, they were not allowed to talk, and they were not told where they were being taken. They noted that they only realized later that they had been taken to a police station.

CROSS-EXAMINATION AND THE “IRAN” QUESTION

The journalists reported that two individuals who did not identify themselves conducted a cross-examination. They stated that they were asked questions such as when they arrived, which gate they used to enter the country, whether they had visited before, who they met with in Israel, whether they had been to Iran, and where they lived in Istanbul.

It was noted that the question regarding whether they had been to Iran was particularly striking.

PHONES CONFISCATED

It was reported that during the interrogation, their phones were examined, their photo galleries were checked, and questions were asked about a photo from years ago. It was stated that the names and numbers of the people they met in Israel were recorded, and that cameraman Halil Kahraman's phone was examined in the same manner.

RELEASED AFTER 9 HOURS

The journalists announced that the waiting continued throughout the process and that they remained in detention for a total of 9 hours. They stated that after being released, they were not dropped off where their vehicle was located, but at a different, unknown point. It was reported that their health status is good.