TRNC journalist refused entry into Turkey, classed as security threat

On Sunday, a Turkish Cypriot journalist was refused entry into Turkey at Istanbul Airport on the grounds that “he poses a security threat to Turkey.”

According to the report by, Yeniduzen, Ali Kişmir, Chairman of the Press Workers’ Union (Basin-Sen), who was on his way from the TRNC to Croatia was detained at Istanbul Airport. Kişmir wanted to get a PCR test which was a requirement of entry. However, he was classed as undesirable and detained.

“My photos were taken, my fingerprints were taken. I was treated like a terrorist”, he said. Kişmir said that when he protested, he was told he could take the matter to court.

The event caused an uproar in the TRNC as several unions and politicians in the country bear their minds on the issue. 

CTP leader Tufan Erhürman called on President Tatar to defend his citizens, asking why he had made no comment about the incident. 

Tatar responded by saying that “Although Erhürman, a lawyer, knows this fact, it is regrettable that some people who accuse Turkey of ‘invasion’, say ‘We do not want you’, and insult Turkey and the President and their authorities, politically exploit the fact that they are not allowed into Turkey”.

“Erhürman’s attempt to ask me to account for those who say to Turkey, [you are] ‘An invader, a colonialist, we don’t want you, get out of Cyprus’, is another blunder. This attitude of Erhürman is in the nature of supporting and protecting those who insult Turkey. I urge him to be prudent and realistic”.    

Also addressing the issue is leader of the People’s Party Kudret Özersay who said in July, he had asked that Turkey provide a list of undesirables. He also called on President Tatar to investigate the incident.

Basin-Sen union pointed out that this was the third Turkish Cypriot who had been denied entry into Turkey. They asked who would be next. A statement issued by the union said the following:

“While it has been three months since the 4th President Mustafa Akıncı’s press and communication consultant Ali Bizden and research writer Ahmet An were not allowed to enter Turkey on the grounds that they were harmful to national security in July, the necessary statements were not made to the public. Journalist Ali Kişmir, President of the Press Workers’ Union (Basin-Sen), went to passport control from the transit passenger section in Istanbul in order to have the PCR test he needed before his return to Croatia and his arrival in the TRNC. He was detained by the Police on the grounds that there was an “entry ban” until the next flight and kept in room room. The practice that Kişmir has been exposed to in this process is not acceptable”.

LGC New, Yeniduzen