DW correspondent Alican Uludag has been in custody in Turkey for three months, in part on charges of "insulting the president." He is set to appear in court for the first time on Thursday, though only via video link.
https://p.dw.com/p/5E0tTDW correspondent and court reporter Alican Uludag has been in pre-trial detention in Istanbul since FebruaryImage: privatAdvertisementDW correspondent Alican Uludag, accused of publicly insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, spreading misleading information and disparaging state institutions in a total of 22 social media posts, will appear in court for the first time on Thursday.
Uludag was arrested at his apartment in Ankara on February 19 and transferred to Istanbul, where he was placed in pre-trial detention. Although he is being held in Istanbul, his trial is taking place in Ankara. Despite his specific request to present his defense in person, Uludag is only allowed to participate in the proceedings via video conference.
Uludag's case is considered particularly noteworthy, as he is one of the few remaining journalists in Turkey who focus on reporting on the judiciary and court proceedings.
Following his arrest, DW Director-General Barbara Massing dismissed the allegations against him as baseless. She called his arrest a "targeted attempt at intimidation," and said his case demonstrated "the extent to which the government is massively repressing press freedom." Massing emphasized that Uludag has an excellent network and access to key sources. From the government's perspective, she said, this is precisely what could make him an inconvenient and potentially dangerous voice.
Erol Onderoglu, the Turkey representative for press freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF), said Uludag was being "arbitrarily targeted by a judiciary beholden to those in power." He added that Uludag, who he described as a "serious journalist known for his investigations into matters of public interest," may have angered those in power with his investigations.
Uludag himself considers his arrest a deliberate attempt to keep him from continuing his work. He had previously reported on contradictions in indictments and inconsistencies in key witness testimonies, on topics he claims to have covered impartially.
"I have not strayed from my journalistic work. I believe that the majority of members of the judiciary are themselves concerned about the increasingly politicized proceedings," he said. "I will continue to pursue the truth. I do not admit to any of the charges."
The journalist also described his time in custody as a paradoxical experience. While the opportunity to observe daily prison life and the mental state of inmates up close is personally difficult, he said, it is at the same time journalistically significant for his work as a justice reporter.
Uludag is not the only journalist in Turkey who has been detained or is facing political pressure. Since his arrest in February, there have been several trials against media professionals, resulting in more convictions against journalists than are typically handed down in an entire year.
The state of press freedom in the country is dire: In RSF's 2026 World Press Freedom Index, Turkey fell four places and now ranks 163rd out of 180 countries. Censorship, legal sanctions and the fear of criminal prosecution are increasingly part of everyday life for journalists in the country. According to RSF, fundamental guarantees of press freedom are eroding worldwide but this process is particularly evident in Turkey.
The Turkish Journalists' Union (TGS) has called out the broad spectrum of pressure and repression against media professionals. This includes preliminary investigations, criminal and civil lawsuits, as well as physical and verbal attacks on journalists and media outlets.
The TGS has warned that state intervention against media outlets is increasing, adding that these are not isolated cases but rather a structural problem. The principles of the rule of law are being increasingly undermined, and constitutional guarantees are losing their significance. Journalistic work, in particular, is repeatedly being targeted by criminal and administrative legal measures.
According to the TGS, Turkey is among the countries where charges such as "disinformation," "insulting the president" and "defamation of state institutions" are routinely used to suppress critical reporting. The data clearly shows that these are by no means isolated cases.
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Article 217/A of the Turkish penal code, which came into force in 2022 and is often referred to in public as the "censorship law," plays a central role in this context. It criminalizes the "public dissemination of misleading information" and is viewed by critics as a tool that has had a chilling effect on journalistic work.
Among the most prominent cases in recent months, in addition to Uludag, are investigations against Ismail Ari, a reporter for the left-wing opposition newspaper Birgun. Proceedings were initiated against both on the basis of similar allegations.
Although journalists are often acquitted in the end, the arrests, threat of imprisonment, legal fees and court proceedings that drag on for months have a lasting deterrent effect. Numerous media professionals have been or are currently being prosecuted under this provision. Critics argue that this demonstrates that the legal proceedings themselves have become a tool of punishment.
According to TGS, 15 journalists and media workers were in custody as of April 27. Among them is also Etkin News Agency reporter Pinar Gayip, who was arrested on charges of "membership in an armed terrorist organization" and "propaganda for the organization." Specifically, the case allegedly involves alleged ties to the Marxist-Leninist Communist Party, which is banned in Turkey. Her research, interviews and the funerals she covered were used as the basis for the charges.
While Uludag awaits his first hearing, his primary concern is that he is currently unable to report on potential human rights violations within the prison system — that is, on people whose cases he may have covered as a journalist under different circumstances.
This article was originally written in German.
