DW correspondent Alican Uludag is due to make his first court appearance after being arrested on February 19. Authorities accuse him of publicly insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, spreading misleading information and disparaging state institutions in 22 social media posts. Uludag was detained at his Ankara apartment, transferred to Istanbul and placed in pre-trial detention. Although held in Istanbul, his case is being heard in Ankara; despite asking to attend in person, he has been allowed to join the proceedings only by video link.
Uludag covers the judiciary and court cases — one of the few reporters in Turkey focusing closely on legal proceedings. DW’s director-general, Barbara Massing, called the arrest a “targeted attempt at intimidation,” arguing the charges are unfounded and reflect a wider effort to silence journalists who have strong source networks and investigate sensitive topics. Reporters Without Borders’ Turkey representative Erol Onderoglu described Uludag as a “serious journalist” and said the arrest looks like arbitrary targeting by a judiciary beholden to those in power.
Uludag says the detention is meant to stop his reporting. He has previously exposed contradictions in indictments and inconsistencies in witness statements, reporting he says was impartial and in the public interest. He told DW he does not accept the charges and will continue to pursue the truth. He also described his time in custody as a paradox: personally traumatic, but journalistically revealing about prison life and the mindset of inmates — material he would otherwise report on.
The case has prompted protests by Turkish journalists and drawn international attention. It comes amid a wider crackdown on media in Turkey: press freedom monitors say arrests, criminal investigations, civil suits and intimidation have become routine tools against critical reporting. In the 2026 World Press Freedom Index Turkey fell and now ranks 163rd out of 180 countries, according to Reporters Without Borders.
Turkish unions and press freedom groups warn the problem is structural. The Turkish Journalists’ Union (TGS) says state intervention against media outlets has risen and that legal, administrative and even physical attacks are used to stifle journalism. They point to new legislation — Article 217/A of the penal code, enacted in 2022 and publicly dubbed a “censorship law” — which criminalizes the “public dissemination of misleading information.” Critics argue the provision has a chilling effect on reporting and is frequently invoked against journalists.
Several prominent reporters have faced similar probes; investigations were opened into Ismail Ari of the opposition paper Birgun on comparable allegations. Even when journalists are later acquitted, the arrests, protracted court cases, legal costs and the threat of imprisonment produce a deterrent effect that discourages investigative reporting.
TGS data showed that as of April 27 fifteen journalists and media workers were in custody. One high-profile detainee is Etkin News Agency reporter Pinar Gayip, arrested on charges of membership in a banned organization and of propaganda. Authorities have cited her reporting, interviews and coverage of funerals in building the case.
While Uludag awaits his hearing, he is especially concerned that detention prevents him from reporting on possible human rights abuses inside prisons — precisely the kinds of stories he has been covering. The arrest and trial of a journalist who specialized in scrutinizing the judiciary has reinforced fears among media professionals and rights groups that legal tools are being used to curb independent reporting in Turkey.