Journalists have been prevented from reporting on many aspects of the visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Albania on Monday.
After arriving at Rinas Airport, Erdogan proceeded to the town of Lac in the north of the country where the Turkish government has built over 500 houses for families who were made homeless by the 26 November 2019 earthquake.
Journalists, however, were not allowed to follow the event and are prevented from being present during most of his schedule. Those attempting to reach Lac via car were stopped and prevented from getting near the town. All roads leading into Lac are blocked and no concessions are being given to media workers.
In terms of the press conference scheduled for later today, only journalists accredited by the Office of the Prime Minister are allowed to attend. Furthermore, those granted access are not allowed to take their cameras. This means, all footage of Erdogan’s visit will be controlled by the government with little opportunity given to independent media.
