German TV Reporter Arrested in Turkey on Social Media Charges

Turkish police have arrested a seasoned journalist working for Germany's Deutsche Welle news service, charging him with spreading false information and insulting Turkey's president. The charges stem from social media posts the reporter made criticizing Turkish government policies regarding Islamic State detainees.

Turkish law enforcement officials have taken into custody a seasoned journalist working for Deutsche Welle, Germany’s state-funded international news organization, on charges of spreading false information and insulting the country’s president.

According to a statement released Thursday evening by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, authorities arrested Alican Uludag and opened a criminal case against him based on content he posted on social media platforms. Officials plan to bring him before prosecutors on Friday.

The German broadcasting company, known as DW, confirmed that their correspondent, who has worked with the organization for multiple years, was taken into custody in Ankara on Thursday before being transported to Istanbul for questioning.

Barbara Massing, who serves as Director General of Deutsche Welle, dismissed the charges as unfounded and described the detention as “a deliberate act of intimidation and shows how severely the government is suppressing press freedom.”

According to DW officials, the charges against Uludag stem from his public criticism of Turkish government policies that resulted in the release of individuals suspected of having ties to the Islamic State. The journalist made these comments in a post on the social media platform X approximately 18 months ago.

The news organization also reported that authorities conducted a search of Uludag’s residence and seized computer equipment and other technology devices during the investigation.