Editor-in-chief of Sputnik Turkey Mahir Boztepe has been detained in Istanbul, reports RIA Novosti.

“Turkish police officers today arrived in the office of Sputnik Turkey in Istanbul and demanded a meeting with the news agency’s representatives. At that moment, the only people in the office were the on-duty employees. The police declared that they wouldn’t leave the office until they met the news agency’s representatives,” the news agency reported.

“Currently, head of the representation of the news agency Maksin Durnyov is meeting with the news agency’s lawyers, as well as representatives of the Consulate General of Russia and Turkish police officers,” Sputnik added.

On Saturday, aggressive demonstrators barged into the apartments of employees of Sputnik Turkey who said they were citizens of Turkey and threatened with screams. They intimidated the journalists by threatening to settle scores with them and demanded that they stop working. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, in the evening, the journalists were transported to Turkey’s power structures, yet there is still no contact with them.

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has called on the Turkish authorities to interfere, ensure the journalists’ safety and help clarify all the details of the incident.