Dutch journalist trapped in Turkey returns to Netherlands

By Janene Pieters on May 11, 2016 - 07:32
800px-EbruUmar
Ebru Umar (Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Oscar). (Ebru Umar (Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Oscar))

Journalist Ebru Umar is back in the Netherlands. Turkey lifted the travel ban against her on Tuesday and she arrived at Schiphol airport that same night.

Turkey lifted the travel ban on Tuesday after a judge ruled that the complaints against it are valid, according to Dutch newspaper AD. Umar is now allowed to await the judicial proceedings against her in the Netherlands. It is unclear how long that will take.

A fellow passenger spotted Umar at the airport in Izmir, Turkey and managed to speak a few words to her. According to him, she was traveling with her mother.

"It is excellent news that she could return to the Netherlands. Behind the scenes much was done to her case and it is good that Ebru Umar can come home now", Minister Bert Koenders of Foreign Affairs responded to the news.

Other politicians also commented on Umar's return. "Welcome home Ebru Umar", Deputy Prime Minister Lodewijk Asscher tweeted. "Good news: Ebru Umar is coming to the Netherlands. Glad that is happening", Prime Minster Mark Rutte posted on Twitter. D66 leader Alexander Pechtold called it a "wise decision by Turkey."

"Great news that Ebru Umar is finally free, but a gross shame that Rutte and his gang still do business with the Islamo-fascist Erdogan", PVV leader Geert Wilders tweeted.

Umar was arrested in Turkey at the end of April because of insulting tweets about Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. She was released a day later, but told to stay in Turkey. In early May two new indictments were filed against her.

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