DW correspondent detained in Turkey

He is scheduled to appear before a magistrate on February 20. The correspondent, Alican Uludağ, is a well-known investigative journalist in Turkey. On Thursday evening, he was detained by about thirty police officers in front of his family. His apartment was searched and IT equipment was confiscated. 

He is accused of "disseminating misleading information to the public," "insulting the president," and "insulting the Turkish nation, state, and institutions." The allegations relate to an X-post he made about a year and a half ago. In it, he criticizes measures taken by the Turkish government that led to the release of possible ISIS terrorists. He accused the government of corruption. As a long-time court reporter, Uludağ reports on human rights violations, corruption cases, and trials that reach a wide audience. 

DW Director General Barbara Massing: "The accusations against our colleague are baseless. Alican Uludağ is a well-known investigative journalist who focusses on reporting about corruption. He is very well connected and has access to important sources. This makes him dangerous to the government – in their eyes. The fact that a journalist is being treated like a serious criminal, taken away by thirty police officers and brought directly to Istanbul, serves as a deliberate act of intimidation and shows how severely the government is suppressing press freedom. Our colleague must be released immediately!"  

DW is in close contact with the colleague's relatives, local lawyers, and other relevant authorities in Turkey. On Friday, Alican Uludağ will be accompanied to the magistrate by DW colleagues, lawyers, and attorneys from the Istanbul Bar Association. 

On January 23, a DW correspondent was arrested in Niger. He has been in pre-trial detention since then. In this case, too, DW is in close contact with his relatives and local lawyers.