Japanese Journalist Yasuda Leaves Turkey for Home

October 25, 2018

Istanbul, Turkey- Japanese freelance journalist Junpei Yasuda, who was released from militant captivity in Syria, left Turkey on Thursday for Japan.

Yasuda, 44, is scheduled to arrive at Narita International Airport near Tokyo in the evening on the same day.

He told the media on the plane from Istanbul that he was happy to be headed home.

On Wednesday evening, Yasuda left an immigration facility in Antakya in Hatay province, southern Turkey, where he was put under protective custody after being freed from 40 months of captivity.

The journalist arrived at an airport in Hatay by car. He walked toward the departure lobby, with officials of the Turkish authorities supporting him by holding his arms.

Yasuda did not answer to questions from reporters before getting on the plane. He flew to Istanbul for a transit stop.

A medical officer sent from Japan conducted a health checkup on Yasuda and found no particular problem, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a press conference in Tokyo on Thursday.

Yasuda was held hostage by Islamic militants soon after entering Syria from Antakya in June 2015 for reporting purposes. His release was announced on Tuesday. Jiji Press