Turkey remands US journalist for illegal border crossing

HATAY, Turkey

A US citizen was remanded in custody for trying to enter Turkey illegally from Syria, Hatay Governor said Sunday.

Ercan Topaca told Anadolu Agency, Snell Lindsteyler, a journalist, was detained in Turkey's southern province of Hatay's Altinozu district near the Syria border.

"A US journalist was captured while she was trying to cross the border illegally; she was taken to court and remanded. The trial phase is ongoing. For now, we do not know if she is a spy or not," Governor Topaca said.

He said US helicopters were seen flying over the border to pick up the journalist before she was caught by Turkish officials.

Lindsteyler has a residence permit in Turkey, Topaca said, adding that she was caught on the grounds that she crossed Syria illegally from Turkey and then tried to reenter Turkey illegally.