♪ >> this is "dw news" live from berlin. tonight protests across germany after a german reporter was arrested in turkey on terrorism charges. police in istanbul have detained deniz yucel, accusing him of spreading terrorist propaganda. colleagues are demanding his release. reporters without borders, what can be done to help him? also coming up, u.s. president donald trump years of for his first address before the u.s. congress. he has warmed up by claiming

barack obama is orchestrating protests against him. we will get the latest from washington. an incredible tale of survival, a syrian woman watches a book about her ordeal as a refugee, including how her boat was rammed as a cross to the mediterranean. i am branched off. it's good to have you with us. there are protests across germany over turkey's crackdown on the media. a crackdown that here has become personal. authorities in istanbul have arrested the turkish german reporter deniz yucel on terrorism charges. the police accused him of disseminating terrorist propaganda, and inciting hatred in the country. yucel works for a german newspaper and his treatment has sparked outrage.

not only inside his newsroom. reporter: these protesters want to see deniz yucel back in germany as a free man. they took to the streets in a dozen cities in germany, troy support for the german correspondent. a turkish court sent yucel to prison on monday, where you will stay until he goes on trial. the prison is known for its poor conditions. yucel's employer in germany is appalled. >> we have been bracing ourselves for what could happen. we had different scenarios in mind. but the fact that the worst thing has happened is shocking for us. reporter: among other things, 43-year-old deniz yucel had been reporting on military operations in the mainly kurdish region of southeastern turkey. had interviewed an official with the kurdistan worker prosperity, the pkk. now turkey's judiciary accuses

him of spreading terror propaganda as well as agitation. yucel and published a joke about turkish,-kurdish relations. the chancellor has voiced concern. she said, the news that deniz yucel must remain in custody is something i find bitter and disappointing. as it stands now, there is no sign yucel will be freed anytime soon. anchor: joining me now is the director of reporters without borders in germany. it's good to have you here on the show. what is the situation for deniz yucel tonight? >> us for as a know, from our correspondent in turkey, who is in touch with deniz yucel's lawyer, he has been transferred to another prison.

given the current circumstances, he faces not the best situation. anchor: you were at the protests we saw in berlin. what can reporters without borders do right now to try and secure deniz's release? >> i think we are always doing two things. we are doing advocacy work behind the scenes, trying to talk to politicians, trying to somehow force them to be outspoken, and of course we try to help very concretely. i think in the case of deniz yucel, argan creek help is not so much needed because he has a big publishing house behind him. anchor: do you think that will make a difference? >> it makes a difference because there are lots of turkish journalists out there who don't have a publishing house internationally which is quite so outspoken. this it makes a difference, and economics a part of it as well. anchor: we know that deniz yucel

is a german citizen but also a turkish citizen. turkey is saying that germany has nothing to say about this, they are treating deniz as a turkish reporter would be treated. what do you do with that situation? you basically in terms of diplomacy, there is no -- there is nothing that germany can do. >> somehow he has luck in an unlucky situation. of course he is in an unlucky situation being in prison, but he's lucky having as well the german citizenship guide and that's why the german government is quite outspoken, and i personally would wish that the german government would be as outspoken regarding any other journalists in turkish prisons and to deniz yucel, and that is why it is so important actually to highlight that deniz yucel's ties is first of all a symbolic case, but is willing to new dimension, being a foreign correspondent. anchor: what about the claim

that president erdogan was to make an example out of him? >> -- wants to make an example out of him? >> definitely. that new dimension is targeted like that. i think that's a clear signal to turkish journalists, to intimidate them. i think that's why we have to be much more outspoken, that we don't let intimidate, that we send a power -- signal to the turkish journalists that we don't let them allow and we still believe in press freedom in turkey. anchor: our reporter with reporters without borders in germany. thank you very much. i appreciate your insights. yucel's arrest put fresh pressure on already straight ties between berlin and ankara. now, the german foreign minister led criticism of the move, which could endanger turkey's hopes of joining the european union. reporter: the german foreign

minister did not mince his words. he made it clear that deniz yucel's detention places a massive strain on german-turkish relations. >> this decision isn't just disappointing, it's unnecessary and completely inappropriate. anyone carrying out their work as a journalist is protected by freedom of the press and freedom of expression. in turkey, as well as in germany. reporter: the turkish ambassador was called in to discuss the case. berlin is insisting on full count sealer protection for -- on full consular protection. it kinds at a time when chancellor merkel needs the cooperation of the turkish government more than ever. she is depending on tayyip erdogan to hold up his side of

an all-important refugee deal the eu has made with ankara. so far he has complied, despite frequent threats to the contrary. but ankara and berlin have been growing further and further apart over the last year. erdogan has ordered thousands of systematic sackings and detentions since the attempted coup in germany in 2016, especially in education, jus tice, and the media. but with the arrest of deniz yucel, the turkish judiciary crossed a new boundary. now foreign correspondents there can no longer feel safe from arrest great germany's parliamentary opposition is deeply concerned. >> this is of course a huge weight on theelations wee een thewo countes. are frids, we are partners, we need each other. turkey needs germanynd the eu o. but the question of proportionality and rule of law is fundamental of this relations. reporter: opposition members are saying erdogan is holding merkel

over a barrel with a refugee deal, and it's high time she asserted herself and put real pressure on ankara. anchor: just hours before delivering his first address to congress, u.s. president donald trump has blamed his predecessor, barack obama, for leaks and protests against the new government. trump told fox news that he suspected top obama administration officials could be behind the leaks. he says they are endangering national security as a result. he also talked about boosting the military, saying countries receiving support from u.s. forces should offer reimbursement. pres. trump: we are treated very unfairly. when we help them even militarily, we are going to ask for a form of reimbursement which right now -- we have countries where we are taking care of the military, we are not being reimbursed, and they are wealthy countries. anchor: president donald trump

talking about what many people are calling the trump transaction. let's get more now on what the u.s. president may be addressing in his first speech to the u.s. congress later on tonight. we will pull in our correspondent. she's in washington on the story for us. good evening to you. do we have a sneak peek of what we are going to hear from the u.s. president? reporter: well, we know he's definitely expected to address repealing obama care and also likely touch on tax reform, pulling back regulations, defense spending. we know he just put through in order for a 10% increase in the u.s. budget to go towards military spending. an overall we are expecting him to try to strike a positive tone. this is what his secretary said, the theme will be the renewal of american spirit. we are also expecting him to possibly highlight what he deems as successes now, multiple

executive orders, including one recent one he put through emphasizing america's historically black colleges and universities, and also likely highlighting the so-called travel ban, the controversial executive order. anchor: we also understand he's expected to sit out -- set out in greater detail how he plans to cut spending and at the same time boost the economy. are we seeing a president here who is trying to change the narrative and to bring this renewal the american spirit that you were mentioning? reporter: this speech is definitely being looked at as a chance for him to regain his footing, to change the narrative, and change the american people's minds by speaking to them directly rather than through twitter or the media, as he has been doing so far.

we are definitely going to see him strike this more positive tone, and we will see what comes out. anchor: our correspondent on the story for us in washington, a head of that speech by the u.s. president. thank you very much. a new series of exhibitions here and berlin is shining a light on modern surveillance. it is a hot button topic in a city that once thronged with spies and where residents take their right to privacy extremely seriously. that is being challenged by spying and prying in the digital age, a fact not lost on today's artists. reporter: in buildings and public spaces, we are being watched. through our mobile phones and with every internet search. no one is safe. not even the german chancellor. who's watching whom, and why, is the question posed by a number of current exhibitions in

berlin. front tax is one of the watchers, the european border and coast guard using high-definition cameras to track refugee boats. a photographer catches the way technology keeps the watchers and the watched at arm's length. muslims in new york city are being watched. in 2011, secret documents compiled by a special police units were published, revealing that every day activities like shopping, praying, and exercising were monitored. when a chinese artist was placed under house arrest in beijing in 2012, the state installed 15 cameras. he went and bought some more, recorded himself around the clock, and uploaded the images to the internet, taking the surveillance to the absurd. drones record millions of images

per day worldwide. the spies in the sky can also have lethal capabilities. in yemen in 2011, 12 people were killed by u.s. military drones. identified as a terrorist group, they were in fact members of a wedding party. collateral damage is an installation by a belgian artist. his drone images show american citizens caught unaware, praying or practicing sports, much like people in yemen or pakistan, accidentally killed by american drones. an artist takes images from google street view and hanks posters in the original locations. his paper street ghosts have been seen the world over. another reminder that we are constantly monitored, and perhaps a warning that we should be more concerned about the data. -- big data. anchor: big data, big brother.

you are watching "dw news." a story of survival and hope, one woman recounts her harrowing journey from syria to sweden. you will meet the woman who took her story and turned it into a book. we will be right back.

anchor: tonight a book that gives a face and voice to the tragic refugee statistics that have dominated much of the news here in europe. i'm happy to welcome to the show tonight melissa fleming. she's here at the big table with me. messa, welcome. it's good to have you with us. before we talk about your new book, our viewers, they may already be familiar with you. >> well also for unhcr. i have been on the transition

team for the secretary-general. anchor: so people automatically associate you with the situations and trying to deal with refugees great but let's talk about your book. your latest book is "a hope more powerful than the sea." it has just been released in germany as well, in the german language. it is a refugee story of love, loss, and survival. we report more often than we would like about people becoming desensitized to tragedies, even atrocities. is there a demand in our world today for the voice of the victims? >> absolutely. there is a saying that goes, statistics are human beings with the tears dried off. we talk a lot about human beings, refugees tend to flee in

large numbers. they become statistics. people become inured to their suffering. to me, to tell her story, a single-story, it brings people really in. it is engrossing. through her story, you learn a lot about why the war in syria started, why it drove so many people, half the population, from their homes, what it was like living as a refugee in neighboring countries, and also, what drives people, young people, and others, to risk their lives again to cross the mediterranean sea to reach the promise of europe. anchor: first, we want to look at a piece that tells us how the book came into being. let's take a look. reporter: the sea will never again be a place of enjoyment for her. two years ago, then 19-year-old

attempted to cross the mediterranean to get to europe. at the book presentation in berlin, she recounted her ordeal and how the bochy was traveling in was deliberately keeled over by another vessel. >> to this day, i cannot understand why our boat is willfully capsized and the children allowed to drown. not even the children were spared. reporter: she was one of 11 people who survived. 500 are on the boat. her fiancé also drowned. she cannot swim and spent four days in the sea with an inflatable water ring around her waist, clutching to children in her arms. the crew of a tanker ship hold the three of them out of the sea. only one of the children survived, the 1 1/2 year old. >> the two girls in my arms gave me strength. i felt responsible for the. -- them. reporter: today she lives in

sweden. her siblings and parents were able to emigrate from syria and travel there. these images from the unhcr show the moment the family was reunited. she says she's very happy she now lives in europe. she hopes that one day she will be able to see her homeland of syria again. >> it is a moving story, and a story that has a happy ending, somewhat. your book comes at a time when even your boss, the secretary-general at the u.n., is warning of growing hatred towards migrants and refugees all over the world. we had amnesty international last week talking about the dehumanization of refugees in political rhetoric. what can be done to change this trend? >> the political rhetoric isn't helpful.

i find it completely irresponsible to win votes on the basis of people's fears, and the fears of other cultures coming, when -- it's very irresponsible. i believe most countries, and actually when we do our polling, most citizens of europe and the united states, when they know why people are coming, when they know they are fleeing war, they support almost 100% providing them with a silent. it's when the narrative is distorted, and unfortunately it is too often distorted, so we are seeing so much hatred, walls being built, and xenophobia being built. anchor: you are speaking to what angela merkel -- that was her rationale with her open-door policy, to let one million refugees come into the country. but she is regularly attacked now for that.

donald trump in the united states, he says what she did with the country's security at risk. -- put the country's security at risk. security over humanity, a constant fight. >> what the german chancellor did was the right thing to do. she stands for principles of letting people who are in need of international protection, during 2015 when most of the refugees were coming, these were the people from syria, afghanistan, and iraq. these were people fleeing terrible conditions and war. what she underestimated was how many would come and that most would choose to come to three countries. austria, germany, and sweden. and that the rest of europe would say, not our problem. also, at the european union was not at that time capable of -- before that, even sharing, the problem was in greece mostly and also in italy.

the european union, we recommend it should have been there immediately with big reception centers, registering the people, screening the people, determining their status, and then setting up a relocation center, relocation system. we had that at the beginning. when it became too late, it became more untenable. before we let you go, your experience with refugees, they don't want to leave their homes. and if they do have to leave, they don't want to go far away from home, right? >> of course not. do you want to leave your home? it's the worst thing that can happen to you except losing your family. all refugees i have talked to say this is the absolute last resort when they leave. many, and most people when they leave, they tried to not even leave their country. they tried to go to other towns

and villages, crossing the border into a foreign territory, or you know life is going to be difficult. it is last resort. all refugees and have talked to mostly want to go home. although we ask is, if you are unable as countries with influence to stop the wars that are driving so many people, the least you can do is help the victims. anchor: alyssa fleming, author of this new book. >> there is an english version out. anchor: which we showed as well. thank you very much. all right. let's get the latest business news. some lost business for trump. >> that's right. president donald trump's moved to ban citizens from seven muslim nations from traveling to the united states is unsettling entrepreneurs here. in germany, a husband and wife with iranian roots will not be bringing their company and innovation to the u.s. for the time being.

they say berlin is no more like new york than new york is. reporter: gaining a foothold in the u.s., that used to be the startup founder's goal. he holds german and iranian citizenship, and business travel to the u.s. shouldn't be a problem. he makes games for dementia patients meant to foster physical and mental fitness. but for now, he's focusing on the european market. >> we are concentrating much more on europe than we would have done originally because it's clear there is so much uncertainty in the u.s., whom a or should do what it is not a good starting position for a startup. reporter: she had planned to move her business from berlin to the u.s., where her husband lives. but she has put those plans on hold, although she holds both german and iranian passports. >> temporary entry is allowed, but the question is, how

temporary is temporary? my business isn't temporary. i have to do long-term planning. reporter: she developed a software program for the automotive industry which links the onboard computer with other devices, including apps, regardless of operating system. he studied in the u.s. and receives funding from yale university. >> what we have now is a complete reversal of the spirit the u.s. has always encouraged. to go there, research there, innovate there, bring your ideas forth into the world from there. there you get access to everything you need. that's gone. in this sense, berlin is more new york than new york at the moment. reporter: but both say they are not completely giving up on the u.s. market. >> that is your business update for now. anchor: thank you very much.

here's a reminder of the top story we're following for you, there have been protests across germany following the jailing of journalist deniz yucel in turkey. he has been remanded in custody for allegedly spreading terrorist propaganda and inciting hatred. yucel is the first german journalist to be detained as part of turkey's crackdown on the media. after a short break, i will be back to take you through the day. stick around for that. ♪

♪ ♪ [captioning made possible by wvpt] ♪ >> it's about history, policy, and impact. a new perspective on current affairs, bringing experience, insight, civility, and scholarship to the urgent issues of today. it's about our past, present, and future. your host -- pulitzer prize-winning author and journalist doug blackmon. from the university of virginia's miller center, this is "american forum." blackmon: welcome back to "american forum." i'm doug blackmon.