Detained Syrian singer Omar Souleyman released in Turkey

Ankara: Celebrated Syrian singer Omar Souleyman was released Friday after being detained in southeast Turkey, his lawyer said.

"Omar Souleyman was released at 10:00 am (0700 GMT)," his lawyer Resit Tuna said.

Souleyman was detained on Wednesday in the southern Turkish city of Sanliurfa, where he has been running a bakery since escaping Syria´s civil war which began in 2011.

He was in custody for 24 hours at a police station in Sanliurfa, a province 50 kilometres (30 miles) from the Syrian border, before being taken on Thursday to a shelter serving as a detention centre for people due to be deported from Turkey, Tuna said.

Sanliurfa governor´s office was not able to immediately confirm the singer´s release when contacted.

Souleyman has won international recognition for his melodic mix of dance and folk music, collaborating with artists such as Bjork and the Blur´s frontman Damon Albarn.