Germany expressed strong irritation over the renewed detention of Deutsche Welle correspondent Alican Uludag in Turkey, citing violations of press freedom commitments. Uludag was later released under judicial control.
The detention of a foreign correspondent and Germany's strong reaction highlight ongoing concerns about press freedom in Turkey and strain diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Germany has voiced strong displeasure over the renewed detention of Deutsche Welle correspondent Alican Uludag in Turkey. A German government spokesperson stated Berlin was "highly irritated" by the action, which occurred on Tuesday. Turkish authorities accused Uludag of inciting hatred and hostility and publicly spreading misleading information.
Later on Wednesday, an Ankara court released Uludag, but imposed judicial control measures that ban him from traveling abroad, according to Deutsche Welle. This repeated detention exacerbates diplomatic tensions between Berlin and Ankara concerning press freedom and adds to international criticism of Turkey's treatment of journalists.
Uludag, a correspondent for the German state-backed international broadcaster, had previously been arrested in February and charged with insulting the president via social media posts. He had been granted conditional release following a three-month detention before this latest arrest. The German government spokesperson asserted that Turkey's actions violated the freedom of the press, a commitment Turkey made by joining the Council of Europe and signing the European Convention on Human Rights. However, the spokesperson also noted that German consulates and the embassy in Turkey would not intervene in the case, as Uludag is not a German national.