Even the grounds for arrest contradict the truth

Even the grounds for arrest contradict the truth

Yalçın said, “All of the grounds for arrest are divorced from reality. Risk of flight, tampering with evidence… There is no evidence to be tampered with. There is certainly no risk of flight. To say that someone who was detained after a knock on their door poses a flight risk contradicts not only the law but the truth itself. Journalists are being intimidated, with the message: ‘Look, even if it is unlawful, we can still deprive you of your freedom.’ Alican himself expressed this on the day he was taken into custody.”

HE MUST BE RELEASED IMMEDIATELY

The Press Council, DİSK Basın-İş (The Press, Publishing and Printing Workers’ Union of Turkey), the Contemporary Journalists’ Association (ÇGD), the Journalists’ Association, KESK Haber-Sen (The Union of Press, Publication, Postal and Telecommunication Workers), and the Journalists’ Union of Turkey (TGS) gathered in front of the Ankara Courthouse yesterday for journalist Alican Uludağ. In the statement made, while Uludağ’s immediate release was demanded, it was emphasised that he must attend the hearing in person rather than via SEGBİS.

GAVE A STATEMENT FOLLOWING AN E-MAIL TIP-OFF

Journalist Şule Aydın gave a statement as part of an investigation launched upon an e-mail tip-off sent by an unidentified person to the provincial police departments of all 81 provinces. The tip-off levelled serious accusations against Aydın, such as “espionage”, “spycraft”, “money laundering”, and “criminal organisation activities”, without relying on any concrete evidence. According to an article by journalist Barış Pehlivan, who explained the matter in his column in Cumhuriyet, it was alleged in the e-mail that Aydın used “insulting, mocking, disparaging, and provocative expressions targeting the State of the Republic of Turkey, the President, members of the judiciary, and the Police forces.” The informant requested that legal proceedings be taken against Aydın on charges of insulting the president, degrading the institutions of the state, inciting the public to hatred and hostility, and espionage.

Note: This article is translated from the original article titled Tutuklama gerekçesi dahi gerçeğe aykırı, published in BirGün newspaper on May 21, 2026.