Reporters Without Borders urges Turkey to protect Syrian journalists

PanARMENIAN.Net - A prominent journalism watchdog has called on Turkey to protect exiled Syrian journalists on its territory after an opposition journalist was fatally shot near the border with Syria, the Associated Press reports.

Naji al-Jarf, the editor-in-chief of pro-opposition Hinta Magazine died in hospital Sunday, December 27, after being shot in the street in the southern city of Gaziantep. In October, the Islamic State group said it was behind the killing of another Syrian opposition journalist and of his friend in the southern city of Sanliurfa.

The Paris-based Reporters Without Borders said Tuesday it was "appalled" by reports of al-Jarf's killing and said Turkey should guarantee journalists' safety.

The group said al-Jarf had been receiving threats after making a documentary on IS violence. He had obtained a visa for France had been planning to move there.