Detained Italian photojournalist in Turkey freed: Foreign Ministry

ROME, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Italian Foreign Ministry said on Monday that the Italian photojournalist who was held in Istanbul has been released.

Mattia Cacciatori, 24, was detained by Turkish police during a demonstration in Taksim Square, the center of the Turkish capital, on Saturday while he was filming protesters and police.

"The liberation took place today and his arrival in Italy is expected soon," a source from the Italian Foreign Ministry was quoted as saying by ANSA news agency.

Last month, another Italian photographer, Daniele Stefanini, 29, was placed in police custody in Istanbul before being released following an intervention by Italian diplomats.

Protests in the Turkish capital started in May as environmentalists rallied to preserve Gezi Park which was to be replaced by a shopping center as part of an urban renewal plan.

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