JINHA

COLEMERG – Turkish authorities will deport Dutch journalist Frederike Geerdink, known for her reporting from Kurdistan.

In the Veregoz region near the town of Yüksekova, in Northern Kurdistan (in Turkey), local residents began a vigil to prevent clashes between guerrillas and soldiers in the area as clashes escalated in Kurdistan. Three days ago, Turkish state forces raided the anti-war “human shield” vigil at Veregoz, arresting 32 people. Among them was Frederike Geerdink, a journalist from the Netherlands covering the Veregoz action. Frederike, known for her freelance reporting from the region, has been based in the main Kurdish city of Diyarbakır since 2012.

Yesterday, authorities released Frederike and 26 of the human shield volunteers. The local governor has ordered that Frederike be deported from the country. She has been transferred to the foreigners’ office of the police department for deportation.

(fk/cm)