Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
Ankara, SANA-SANA correspondent in Turkey Hosni Mahli was transferred to a hospital in Istanbul after falling sick during proceedings at a Turkish police headquarter, the Turkish ‘Gercek Gundem’ newspaper said Thursday.
Mahli was taken to the Neurology unit at the Cerrahpasa Medicine Faculty hospital in Istanbul after receiving first aid, according to the newspaper.
Earlier, the Public Prosecution of the Turkish regime referred Mahli to the court, demanding that he remain under arrest after taking his testimony.
In his testimony, Mahli said he started to criticize the policy of the current government in Turkey, after he used to support it, in mid 2011 after the outset of the so-called “Arab Spring”.
He added that in his writings he warned the Turkish government about its policy assessments of the emerging situation spawned by the terrorist organizations, such as ISIS and Jabhat al-Nusra, whose propaganda, he said, was very clear to identify through their open media sources including TV, radio and social media.
He went on saying that depending on these media platforms, he expressed his concern “as a citizen in the Republic of Turkey” about the Turkish government’s sensitivity about this issue and that “its assessments would lead to our country and government finding themselves in a very unpleasant situation in front of the international community.”
“It is very insulting that I am being accused of this charge, because the issue is not about accusing me of a phenomenon of insulting the government of the Republic of Turkey, since I had been until 2011 a mediator contributing to establishing and developing friendly relations between our government and the countries of the Middle East and an adviser for our government in this regard,” Mahli added.
He dismissed as totally unacceptable the rumors accusing him of having been a “Turkish agent before I became a Turkish citizen in February 2011 at the recommendation of the then Prime Minister”, stressing that “I contemn neither the government of the Republic of Turkey nor the President of the Republic.”
The arrested correspondent affirmed in his testimony that many “senior officials” at the Turkish state know about his health issues as he suffers from multiple sclerosis, a chronic disease that attacks the central nervous system, noting that he was made to come to court to give his testimony against the orders of his doctors who insisted that he should be transferred to hospital for treatment after his condition worsened while under arrest.
The Turkish MP of the Republican People’s Party, Baris Yarkadas, stressed that Mahli’s arrest violated the legal laws in Turkey and is aimed at preventing Mahli from saying the truth and keeping veiled the practices of the ruling Justice and Development Party.
Turkish media said Mahli was referred to Istanbul’s Caglayan Courthouse after taking his testimony.
Mahli’s referral to the court came one day after his arrest by Turkish authorities for allegedly “insulting top state officials” on his Twitter account.
The Turkish police searched Mahli’s house and seized digital equipment.
The Turkish police held Mahli incommunicado, according to Yurt newspaper. SANA has been trying to contact him but to no avail.
Mahli, who has a PhD in Political Sciences and International Relations, has worked as SANA correspondent in Turkey for several years, and as a reporter for numerous Arab and international media outlets.
Manal/H. Said
