Journalist's Arrest Sparks Outcry Over Media Freedom in Turkey

Turkish authorities formally arrested investigative journalist Alican Uludag on Friday, charging him with insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan through social media posts. The journalist, known for exposing cases related to the judiciary and corruption, was detained at his Ankara home late Thursday. He was then transferred to Istanbul.

During his interrogation, Uludag refuted the allegations, maintaining that his comments were valid critiques in his role as a judiciary reporter. However, he now faces a potential four-year prison sentence. The arrest has alarmed press freedom advocates, who view it as an assault on media independence.

Deutsche Welle's director-general, Barbara Massing, condemned the arrest as intimidation, demanding Uludag's immediate release. Reporters Without Borders highlight the repression faced by journalists in Turkey, where at least 14 media workers are currently incarcerated, as government control hinders media autonomy.