UPDATE - 'Egypt should immediately release Anadolu Agency employees'

UPDATE WITH TURKISH LAWMAKERS' REMARKS ON DETAINEES

By Emin Avundukluoglu

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey's ruling party on Wednesday called on Egypt to immediately release Anadolu Agency employees who were detained in a police raid Tuesday evening on the agency's Cairo office.

"Egypt should immediately release Anadolu Agency employees and should also apologize," Naci Bostanci, the head of Justice and Development (AK) Party's parliamentary group, told Anadolu Agency.

Bostanci termed the the move, "scandalous and unacceptable".

Egypt should obey international rules on journalism activities, he noted.

"We are waiting for them to be released soon," he added.

Egyptian police raided Cairo office of Anadolu Agency and detained four employees Tuesday evening.

The detainees include one Turkish citizen.

The employees were taken to an unknown destination.

An AK Party senior lawmaker also condemned the detention.

"This unfair detention can not be accepted, we condemn it," Mustafa Acikgoz said on Twitter.

"As Turkish Republic, we will closely follow the issue," he added.

Speaking to lawmakers, the parliament's deputy speaker Sureyya Sadi Bilgic condemned the journalists' detainment.

"The Anadolu Agency employees should be immediately released and the necessary apology should be made," Bilgic said.

The main opposition Republican People's Party's (CHP) deputy group chair also condemned the move.

"We are condemning this attitude of the Egyptian authorities," Ozgur Ozel said.

"We are deeply sorry for the Anadolu Agency [employees]," added Ozel.

AK Party's deputy group chair said they were closely monitoring the incident.

"We have already contacted the authorities. I hope the incident ends without any extraordinary issues, any injury or loss of lives," Bulent Turan said.