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Turkish Authorities Arrest Syrian Journalists Following On-Air Altercation

Posted By Steven Ganot On In Mideast Daily News

Two Syrian journalists were arrested by Turkish security forces on Wednesday, after a verbal altercation with a guest on their television program. Alaa Farhat, the manager of Orient TV, and Ahmed Alrihawi, the host of Tafaseel, were detained after a Turkish analyst who appeared on the show filed a complaint against them for accusing the Turkish state of crimes. Orient TV is based in the United Arab Emirates and supports the Syrian opposition.

The altercation occurred during the talk show Tafaseel, which focused on the torture and killing of two Syrians by Turkish border guards at the Bab al-Hawa crossing over the weekend. The Turkish analyst, Oktay Yilmaz, confronted Alrihawi during the show, which was broadcast live, accusing the TV presenter of slander against Turkey. The argument escalated, with Yilmaz filing a complaint against the two journalists, resulting in their subsequent arrest.

It is not yet clear on what basis the Syrian journalists were arrested or how long they will remain in custody. The incident has sparked outrage among Syrians, who have taken to social media to show their support for Orient TV and the two journalists. They have also condemned Yilmaz’s alleged racist remarks.

Turkey has been a host to over 3 million Syrian refugees since the start of the Syrian conflict in 2011 and has been directly involved in the war. However, anti-refugee sentiment has been on the rise in recent years, with many Turks blaming Syrians for Turkey’s economic problems. Turkish authorities have forcibly returned hundreds of Syrians to Syria in violation of international law. After a recent earthquake devastated large swathes of southeast Turkey and northwest Syria, Syrians in Turkey were accused of looting based on unfounded reports, and some became victims of violent attacks.