Deutsche Welle correspondent Alikan Uludag was released under judicial supervision on Wednesday after spending nearly 25 hours in police custody.
The Turkish prosecutor’s office said he was detained Tuesday on suspicion of inciting hatred and hostility and spreading disinformation to the public.
At the time of his latest detention, Uludag was already on conditional release after being detained in February on charges including insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Germany renews criticism of detentions
Before his release on Wednesday, a German government spokesman said Berlin was “extremely irritated” by Uludag’s renewed detention.
According to Reuters news agency, the spokesperson said Turkish authorities were violating freedom of the press, which Turkey has committed to maintaining by joining the Council of Europe and signing the European Convention on Human Rights.
Following Tuesday’s arrest, DW Director General Barbara Massing described his re-arrest as “deeply worrying” and said, “We expect his rights to be fully respected and we demand a fair trial in accordance with the rule of law.”
Journalists protested outside the court
Uludağ’s latest detention was criticized by Turkish press organizations, which gathered outside the Ankara court ahead of Wednesday’s proceedings.
A small group of protesters held placards and demanded his immediate release, chanting “Journalism is not a crime.”
Uludağ was released, but the court warned him not to leave the country and ordered him to report to the police four times a week.
Sinan Tartanoglu, head of the Ankara branch of the Turkish Journalists Association, said the case reflected broader pressure on journalists in Türkiye.
“Many journalists are in prison and many are under investigation,” DW’s Turkish service quoted Tartanoglu as saying. “We want to be able to report the news, publish our social media posts and express our criticism.”
Uludag has repeatedly denied the allegations against him.