On Friday (February 20, 2026), a court in Istanbul ordered pre‑trial detention for Alican Uludağ, a journalist with Deutsche Welle (DW), on charges of “insulting the president” and “spreading disinformation.”
The German government expressed deep concern, stressing that journalists must be able to work freely and independently without fear of repression. DW’s director also called for his immediate release.
DW stated that the accusations stem from Uludağ’s criticism of Turkish government actions that led to the release of suspected ISIS militants, in a post on platform X about a year and a half ago.
Sources – Agencies
