The German Journalists Association (DJV) on Tuesday called on Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul to summon Turkey's ambassador in Berlin, Gökhan Turan, after a DW reporter was placed in pretrial detention.

Alican Uludag was placed in pretrial custody by a judge on Friday at the request of the public prosecutor.

Uludag is accused of "disseminating misleading information to the public," "insulting the president," and "insulting the Turkish nation, state, and institutions."

What did the DJV say about Uludag?

"This is pure harassment of a critical and independent journalist who takes his profession seriously and refuses to be silenced," said DJV chairman Mika Beuster.

The arrest warrant was "a frontal attack on Germany's international broadcaster Deutsche Welle, which informs people journalistically, not propagandistically," Breuster added.

The DJV urged the German Foreign Office to summon the Turkish ambassador.

"The German Foreign Minister must not remain silent on this," its press release said.

What do we know about the correspondent's arrest?

About 30 police officers arrested Uludag in front of his family last Thursday. His apartment was searched and IT equipment was confiscated.

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 "Islamic State" terrorists. He accused the government of corruption.

DW and German Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer urged the Turkish government to ensure that Alican Uludag be released from custody immediately.

Who is Alican Uludag?

As a long-time court reporter, Uludag — who has reported for  DW for several years — reports on human rights violations, corruption cases, and trials that reach a wide audience.

Uludag was awarded the Raif Badawi Prize for Courageous Journalism in Germany in 2021, in recognition of his reporting under mounting pressure on independent media in Turkey.

The Friedrich Naumann Foundation said the award highlighted the work of the judicial correspondent at a time when free journalism in Turkey is facing severe constraints.

Numerous journalists remain imprisoned in Turkey, which ranks 159th out of 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders' press freedom index. Large parts of the country's media landscape are under direct or indirect government control.

DW is Germany's international broadcaster. As an independent media outlet, we provide unbiased news and information in 32 languages around the world so that people can form their own opinions. DW's TV, online and radio services reach 337 million users every week. 

Edited by: Elizabeth Schumacher