Türkiye: Release investigative journalist Alican Uludağ
‘Alican Uludağ is a well-known and respected figure in Türkiye, whose only “crime” is daring to be a journalist. His targeting is yet another attempt to muzzle independent reporting and instil fear. We stand with Uludağ and call upon the authorities of Türkiye to urgently end their campaign of repression against dissent.’ Burhan Sonmez, President of PEN International.
19 March 2026 – The authorities of Türkiye should immediately release investigative journalist Alican Uludağ and drop all charges against him, PEN International said today, marking one month since his arrest on bogus ‘insult’ and ‘disinformation’ grounds. PEN International reiterates calls on the authorities to stop weaponising the criminal justice system to target dissenting views.
On the evening of 19 February 2026, police detained Alican Uludağ, a correspondent with the German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle, in front of his family in Ankara. They searched his home and confiscated his IT equipment. He was then brought before a judge in Istanbul, who formally arrested him on 20 February. Appeals challenging his arrest order were subsequently rejected. Uludağ stands accused of ‘insulting’ President Erdoğan, ‘denigrating the Turkish nation, state, and institutions’ and ‘publicly spreading disinformation’ – criminal offences that carry lengthy prison terms – in connection with his journalistic work and social media commentary. He is currently being held in the high-security Marmara prison in Silivri, near Istanbul. An indictment has yet to be filed at the time of writing. Scores of national and international organisations have called for his release.
The arrest of Alican Uludağ comes in the wake of a sustained clampdown on writers and journalists in Türkiye, targeted for their peaceful expression. Journalist and author Furkan Karabay has been held under house arrest in connection with his reporting since 23 January 2026. He continues to appeal a four-year and three-month prison sentence handed down in December 2025 for ‘insulting’ President Erdoğan and ‘making targets of those who were tasked to combat terrorism’. Writer and PEN Türkiye member Merdan Yanardağ was formally arrested on 27 October 2025 on charges of ‘espionage’, ostensibly on politically motivated grounds, and faces up to 20 years in prison. He denies any wrongdoing. On 6 January 2026, imprisoned writer and opposition politician Selahattin Demirtaş was handed an additional sentence of 17 and a half months for ‘insulting’ President Erdoğan in 2015 speeches.
The authorities of Türkiye have routinely used criminal defamation and the so-called ‘disinformation law’ to silence independent voices, including writers and journalists. Insult laws are a disproportionate and unnecessary response to the need to protect reputations. They have a chilling effect and undermine freedom of expression. Once again, PEN International urges the authorities to align their domestic legislation with their international human rights obligations, including by repealing criminal defamation and the ‘disinformation law’.
Additional information
Alican Uludağ, born in 1986, is an investigative journalist who specialises in human rights violations, corruption cases, and judicial affairs. He began his career with the daily newspaper Cumhuriyet in 2008 and has faced multiple court proceedings on account of his reporting. He was notably awarded the 2021 Raif Badawi Award for Courageous Journalists from the Friedrich Naumann Foundation.
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