French photographer Mathias Depardon has been freed and deported

French photographer Mathias Depardon has been freed after a month in custody in Turkey.

Mathias Depardon, an award-winning independent photographer on assignment for National Geographic travelled to the historical town of Hasankeyf in Batman province and was detained in May along with his translator a day after his arrival in the mainly-Kurdish province of Batman.

Istanbul-based Depardon was detained while taking pictures in the new settlement area of Hasankeyf, Batman province on 8 May and was accused of the Turkish judiciary with engaging in PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party) propaganda over social media.

After his detention, Depardon was transferred to a centre run by the immigration department in the southeastern city of Antep where he has been held despite a deportation order issued on May 11.

A French consul representative based in Ankara, Christophe Hemmings, was allowed an hour-long visit with the 36-year-old journalist, according to Deloire.

Depardon began a hunger strike on May 21 for a week. Reporters Without Borders and the French government pushed for his release.

Last week, French President Emmanuel Macron urged his Turkish counterpart, Tayyip Erdogan, to intercede. (EVRENSEL DAILY)