Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano
said Wednesday he was planning "a personal and direct contact
with the Turkish government" on Gabriele Del Grande, an Italian
journalist and documentary maker who has been held without
charges since being stopped on the Turkey-Syria border on April
10.
Alfano said he aimed to "make them understand clearly our
country's level of concern on this affair".
Alfano then went on to phone his Turkish counterpart Mevlut
Cavusoglu to "reiterate our firm request for the immediate
release" of Del Grande.
Alfano said he had received the "utmost commitment" from the
Turkish government that "procedures will be completed as soon as
possible".
A delegation from the Italian consulate in the Turkish city
of Izmir on Wednesday travelled to the Turkish administrative
detention centre at Mugla, on Turkey's southern Aegean coast,
where Del Grande has been held, diplomatic sources told ANSA.
Del Grande's lawyer went to his administrative detention
centre along with the Italian vice consul in Ankara but "Turkish
authorities prevented them from seeing him", House human rights
committee chair Luigi Manconi told reporters after talking to
the layer by phone.
Del Grande, 34, phoned Italy Tuesday to say he was well but
that he would start a hunger strike to demand his rights be
respected Tuesday night.
"I'm well, they haven't touched a hair on my head but I can't
phone, they seized my cellphone and belongings, although they're
not charging me with anything," said Del Grande using the
administrative detention centre's landline, saying he was
surrounded by four policemen.
Human rights campaigner Del Grande said he would start a
hunger strike that evening "and I urge everyone to mobilise to
demand my rights be respected".
He said "my documents are in order, but I have not been
allowed to name a lawyer, nor have I been informed when this
detention will end.
"The reason for the arrest is linked to the content of my
work. I have been subjected to questioning in this regard. I
have been able to phone only after days of protests".
There had been no news from the journalist since he was
arrested by Turkish authorities on the Syria border eight days
previously, his family said Monday.
Lucca-born Del Grande, a blogger and human rights activist,
was arrested in Hatay Province near the Syria-Turkey border.
Del Grande is also a documentary maker who has raised
awareness on migrant issues.
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