Canadian journalist Neil Hauer was denied entry to Turkey on Nov 23 upon arrival at Sabiha Gökçen Airport in İstanbul, the journalist revealed on social media.
Hauer, who is based in Yerevan, Armenia, said he was traveling to Turkey’s southeastern province of Mardin on a tourist visa.
“At passport control, I was taken aside, informed 'you are on the blacklist,' detained for 16 hours and deported back," he wrote.
According to a document shared by Hauer on social media, issued by the airport authority affiliated with the İstanbul Governor’s Office, the journalist was banned from entering Turkey. He said he was not provided with further details about the ban, noting that he had visited Turkey multiple times, most recently in the summer of 2022, without incident.
“I am certain that this ban has something to do with my work as a journalist, although I'm not sure what: I rarely ever report on Turkey, and not on Kurdish or Gulenist issues, the normal cause of foreign journalists having problems there,” he added.
Hauer speculated that the ban might be linked to his reporting on Azerbaijan, particularly regarding the country’s actions in Nagorno-Karabakh, a region it took over from Armenia after a 44-day war in 2020, and alleged human rights violations by the government of President Ilham Aliyev. “Considering this, I strongly suspect this ban has been made at Azerbaijan's request, or at least involvement.”
The journalist said he plans to appeal the “groundless” ban and is seeking support from the Canadian embassy and other avenues.
“I will be exploring all avenues for this and welcome any support or suggestions that anyone has to offer, in addition to the support I am receiving from the Canadian embassy,” Hauer said, adding that he would not “compromise my journalistic integrity.”
Turkish authorities have not issued an official statement on the incident.
I was provided no details on why I am banned from Turkey aside from what's on this form, which merely indicates 'entry ban' with no further details. I have visited Turkey many times, most recently in summer 2022, and never had a problem before this. pic.twitter.com/13a9SWqvHx
— Neil Hauer (@NeilPHauer) November 24, 2024
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