HATAY
Two Turkish journalists who were released after being detained by members of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) in Aleppo, told Anadolu Agency about what happened during their detention.
Kemal Gumus of Star newspaper told AA that they had been working in Syria for nearly ten days, and they were detained by PYD members yesterday.
Gumus said that while they were travelling to villages of Aleppo, they were stopped at PYD check point, and their identities were asked by PYD members who wanted to "host" them for a while after learning that they were Turkish journalists.
Although we and some members of Free Syrian Army who were accompanying us resisted, PYD forces brought us to a village. They were nice to us. We did not have any problem, said Gumus, adding that they were hosted for nearly 15 hours.
Gumus added, "Free Syrian Army held some talks with PYD forces and had them release us."
Cihat Arpacik of Milli newspaper, who was together with Gumus, said that they were released thanks to initiatives of Free Syrian Army and Turkish Foreign Ministry.
Noting that Syria was a bad place for journalists, Arpacik said that al-Assad was losing, adding that only a part of Aleppo and Damascus were under the control of al-Assad.
Arpacik and Gumus were released in Adenen village of Aleppo on Thursday morning.
FSA members brought both journalists to the border gate between the southern province of Hatay and Syria. Later the journalists crossed in Turkey.
