Europe

Italian journalist home after 2 weeks detention in Turkey

Associated Press
Published | Updated

Gabriele Del Grande, left, is flanked by his partner Alexandra D'Onofrio after landing at the Bologna airport, Italy, Monday, April 24, 2017. An Italian journalist has returned to Italy after being detained 2 weeks in Turkey for entering an area without permission. Gabriele Del Grande, a blogger and documentary maker who has reported on Syrian refugees, was detained after entering Hatay region in southern Turkey. He arrived Monday at Bologna airport and said he had been treated well but wanted to know why he was deprived of freedom for 14 days “for doing his job.” (Giorgio Benvenuti/ANSA via AP) (The Associated Press)

Gabriele Del Grande, left, is flanked by his partner Alexandra D'Onofrio and Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano, right, after landing at the Bologna airport, Italy, Monday, April 24, 2017. An Italian journalist has returned to Italy after being detained 2 weeks in Turkey for entering an area without permission. Gabriele Del Grande, a blogger and documentary maker who has reported on Syrian refugees, was detained after entering Hatay region in southern Turkey. He arrived Monday at Bologna airport and said he had been treated well but wanted to know why he was deprived of freedom for 14 days “for doing his job.” (Giorgio Benvenuti/ANSA via AP) (The Associated Press)

Gabriele Del Grande, center, is flanked by his partner Alexandra D'Onofrio, left, and Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano, right, after landing at the Bologna airport, Italy, Monday, April 24, 2017. An Italian journalist has returned to Italy after being detained 2 weeks in Turkey for entering an area without permission. Gabriele Del Grande, a blogger and documentary maker who has reported on Syrian refugees, was detained after entering Hatay region in southern Turkey. He arrived Monday at Bologna airport and said he had been treated well but wanted to know why he was deprived of freedom for 14 days “for doing his job.” (Giorgio Benvenuti/ANSA via AP) (The Associated Press)

An Italian journalist has returned to Italy after being detained for two weeks in Turkey, apparently because he entered an area near the Syrian border without proper permission.

Gabriele Del Grande, a blogger and documentary maker who has written about refugees, was detained after entering the area of Hatay in southern Turkey. He arrived Monday at Bologna airport on a flight from Turkey. He said he had been treated well but wanted to know why he was deprived of his freedom for 14 days "for doing his job."

Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano, flanking Del Grande at the airport, credited quiet diplomacy for the release.

Del Grande said he went on a hunger strike for seven days, so the first thing he wanted to do was "go eat."