German soldier arrested in Turkey: German media

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Turkish authorities have arrested a German soldier in Istanbul for unknown reasons, according to local German media.

The Oberhessische Presse reported that the German was a 21-year-old soldier and not a Turkish national.

He is currently not allowed to leave Turkey and has to report to local authorities on a weekly basis since he was released on bail. 

There are no indications, however, that there are political charges against him.

A spokesperson for the German army confirmed the incident to the newspaper Bild and said the young soldier was traveling privately.

The German consulate in Istanbul is reportedly in contact with the suspect who already secured a lawyer.

The soldier, who has not been named, was a staff member of the Rapid Forces Division, the airborne division of the German army.

“We are of course very worried about our comrade after earlier cases of arrests in Turkey,” a spokesperson of the Division told Oberhessischen Presse.

Several German nationals have been arrested in Turkey in recent years, such as Osman B. who shared pictures of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) on his Facebook account and could face years in jail after he was detained while on holiday on July 28 of this year.

However, it is rare for non-ethnic Germans to be arrested in Turkey on political charges.

Editing by Nadia Riva