Turkish police detained journalist Ivan Watson while he was reporting live on air Saturday.
In the video, above, Watson is describing the scene in central Istanbul, when plainclothes police officers begin surrounding him (around the 3:00 mark). The CNN correspondent, who is based in Istanbul, was reporting from Taksim Square, where he says Turkish riot police were on hand to prevent demonstrations on the one-year anniversary of last summer's Gezi Park protests.
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Turkish police detained me and my crew in the middle of a live report in Taksim Square. One officer kneed me in the butt.
— Ivan Watson (@IvanCNN) May 31, 2014
The video shows one plainclothes officer repeatedly demanding to see Watson's passport. In response, Watson identifies himself as being with CNN. Watson then continues to report on air, and shows his press card to both the officer and television viewers. Multiple men begin to surround and push Watson, eventually taking him away from the camera.
"Yes, Errol, we're being detained right now," Watson says, the comments apparently directed toward the CNN studio.
"I'm being kicked," the journalist then says off-camera.
Later on Twitter, Watson says he and his team were released after half an hour.
Turkish police released CNN team after half an hour. Officer apologized for another officer who kneed me while I was being detained. 1/2
— Ivan Watson (@IvanCNN) May 31, 2014
Watson also explains why the Turkish police officer did not accept his press card:
Turkish police officer wasn't satisfied w/my press card from prime ministry. "Many are counterfeited," he said, demanding passport 2/2
— Ivan Watson (@IvanCNN) May 31, 2014
Turkey has experienced ongoing turmoil since last summer, when police cracked down on a protest in Istanbul's Gezi Park. Protests have popped up intermittently across the country since then, most recently following the deadly mining accident that killed 301 workers in western Turkey.
This article has been edited to reflect the following correction: Watson said "Errol" (referring to CNN International anchor Errol Barnett), and not "Harold," as previously stated.