"A member of the border control took my passport and escorted me to the arrivals screening point, where I was kept for about an hour without explanation," Kerimov said, describing his experience at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul.
"Then he gave me a paper that says that I'm a passenger whose entry is prohibited in Turkey. The paper doesn't contain any explanation. My press card and residence permit were also seized, and I was asked to go back to Russia on the next flight."
The Turkish government blocked access to the Sputnik News Agency website without notice last Thursday, citing "administrative measures." This was the latest example of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's crackdown on press freedoms in the country. In 2015, 14 Turkish journalists were imprisoned, and Zaman, one of the country's largest opposition newspapers, was shuttered by the government.
In January 2015, the Turkish government earned the authority to block any type type of Internet resource without a warrant on the grounds of "national security, protection of social order, or for the prevention of crime."
"We received no notifications, warning or other messages from the competent authorities," Kerimov said at the time.
Days before Ankara's decision, Radio Sputnik's Listen to This program won an award from the Turkish Journalists' Association.
