ANKARA (Sputnik) – Kerimov, who was also stripped of his accreditation and residence permit in Turkey, is currently at the Ataturk International Airport in Istanbul awaiting deportation.
"We are sorting out this incident and getting an explanation from the Turkish authorities about the reason for prohibiting Kerimov entrance into Turkey," acting Russian Embassy press attaché Alexander Leshukov told RIA Novosti.
Kerimov was issued an "Inadmissible Passenger Notification Report" by Turkish authorities earlier on Wednesday subjecting him to an entry ban citing the country’s Law Number 6458, Article 9, Paragraph 1 and 2.
"It is informed that you will not be accepted to our country pursuant to the above related article laid down in No: 6458 Turkiye Republic’s Law on Foreigners’ and International Protection," the report reads in both Turkish and English.
The Turkish government blocked access to the Sputnik News Agency website without notice last Thursday, citing "administrative measures." This was the latest example of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's crackdown on press freedoms in the country. In 2015, 14 Turkish journalists were imprisoned, and Zaman, one of the country's largest opposition newspapers, was shuttered by the government.
