The German Journalists Association (DJV) has urged the German Foreign Office to summon Gökhan Turan, Turkey’s ambassador in Berlin, following the arrest of Alican Uludag, a reporter for Germany’s international broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW).
Uludag was placed in pretrial detention by a Turkish judge on Friday at the request of the public prosecutor. He faces accusations including:
- Disseminating misleading information to the public
- Insulting the Turkish president
- Insulting the Turkish nation, state, and institutions
Union Condemns Arrest as Harassment
Mika Beuster, chairman of the DJV, condemned the detention, calling it “pure harassment of a critical and independent journalist who takes his profession seriously and refuses to be silenced.”
He added that the arrest warrant represented “a frontal attack on Germany’s international broadcaster Deutsche Welle, which informs people journalistically, not propagandistically.”
Calls for Diplomatic Response
The DJV has called on German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul to summon Turkey’s ambassador to Berlin and raise concerns over press freedom.
The union emphasizes that the arrest undermines international standards of journalistic freedom and could have broader implications for German-Turkish relations.
International Context
Deutsche Welle, Germany’s state-backed international broadcaster, has frequently faced scrutiny in countries where its reporting challenges government narratives. The Uludag case highlights ongoing tensions surrounding press freedom and the treatment of foreign journalists critical of governmental policies.
The arrest of Alican Uludag has drawn sharp criticism from German journalist organizations, which are demanding diplomatic action and reaffirming the importance of protecting independent journalism. The German Foreign Office may now consider summoning the Turkish ambassador to press for Uludag’s release and ensure journalists’ rights are upheld internationally.
