DW correspondent Alican Uludag re-arrested in Turkey

DW correspondent Alican Uludag re-arrested in Turkey July 21, 2026Deutsche Welle correspondent Alican Uludag has been re-arrested in Turkey on Tuesday, just two months after being granted conditional release. Uludag announced on social media, "I'm being taken into custody," and Deutsche Welle confirmed his arrest. "The re-arrest of our colleague Alican Uludag is deeply concerning. Journalistic work must not be criminalized," DW Director General Barbara Massing said, adding, "we expect his rights to be fully respected and demand a fair trial in accordance with the rule of law." There was no immediate statement from authorities indicating why he had been re-arrested. Detained over social media posts Uludag was first detained in February, accused of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, spreading misleading information and disparaging state institutions or the Turkish state in 22 social media posts. "Insulting" or disparaging Erdogan is a criminal offense in Turkey. He remained in pretrial detention until May 21, when a court granted him conditional release. Uludag denied all the charges, saying he was objectively reporting. Uludag draws support Uludag has, in Turkey's restrictive media landscape, continued to focus on contentious issues such as the judicial system, human rights violations and corruption. He has "independently researched and reported on the judiciary, politics and society in Turkey in the public interest," Massing said. During his previous detention, numerous national and international organizations, as well as political representatives, called for his release. After his initial release, Reporters Without Borders said, "he should not have spent even a single day in detention because of either his reporting or his commentary." Deutsche Welle said it remained in touch with his lawyers following the latest developments. Edited by: Jenipher Camino Gonzalez