Turkish journalists Ali Koçer arrested over earthquake reports

• Mir Ali Koçer, a freelance journalist, is being investigated for allegedly spreading “false news”.
• And could face up to three years in prison.
• On Twitter, he posted accounts of rescuers and survivors.

Mir Ali Koçer drove down to the damaged area, picked up his camera and microphone, and began interviewing survivors.

The catastrophic earthquake that shook Turkey on February 6th struck 200 miles from the epicenter, where freelance journalist Mir Ali Koçer was located.

On Twitter, he posted accounts of rescuers and survivors.

He is currently being investigated for allegedly spreading “false news” and could spend up to three years in prison.

At least four journalists are being looked into for reporting or making comments on the earthquake, including him.

Several more have reportedly been imprisoned, intimidated, or prevented from reporting, according to press freedom organizations.

Turkey and Syria both experienced earthquakes that resulted in at least 50,000 fatalities.

The detentions have not been addressed by the Turkish government.

Mr. Koçer, a Kurd who writes for pro-opposition news outlets like Bianet and Duvar, was smoking on his balcony in the southeast Turkish city of Diyarbakir the night of the earthquake when his two dogs started barking out of the blue.

Afterwards, he recalled how they had yelled in a similar manner in 2020, shortly before a lesser earthquake struck eastern Turkey.

“I felt I was shaking. I felt the house shaking, I felt the TV shaking,” says Mr Koçer. He hid under a dinner table with the dogs and then rushed outside.

After leaving Diyarbakir, Mr. Koçer went to Gaziantep. He was horrified to see images of carnage and victims suffering in subfreezing temperatures in villages close to the earthquake’s epicentre.

In Gaziantep, the earthquake claimed the lives of at least 3,000 people.

“When holding the microphone, behind the camera or in front of the camera, I could not hold back my tears,” Mr. Koçer recalls.

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