A report on the rights to freedom of expression in Turkey shows a sharp increase in cases of blocked access to online content and journalist profiles on social networks, Turkish media reported. Anka Agency cited data from the influential non-governmental organization Association for Freedom of Expression (İFD) and its initiative “Blocked Web“ (EngelliWeb), which indicate that September saw a kind of record in the number of restrictions on digital content.
In just one month - September - 1,270 profiles on the Ex platform (formerly Twitter) were blocked in Turkey, which exceeds the total number of 985 blocked profiles for the entire past year. The media also cited data from the Journalists Association “Dicle Fırat“ (Dicle Fırat Gazeteciler Derneği), which indicate that the total number of blocked media publications and digital materials for September reaches 3,492.
The measures to block access are officially motivated by the wording “protection of national security and public order“.
Among those affected is the information portal T24, which in recent years has established itself as one of the leading independent news sources in the country. The official reason for the complete blocking of T24 is an accusation of “LGBT propaganda“ in 118 of its published articles and analyses over the past year, some of which date back to 2017, the publication adds.
Digital profiles and publications of a number of other independent media platforms have also been blocked, including “Evrensel“, “Kusa Dalga“ (Kısa Dalga), “Jinnews“, “Sol Haber“, “Bizim TV“ and the Mezopotamya Agency (Mezopotamya Ajansı). At the same time, access to the profiles of dozens of well-known Turkish and foreign journalists is also restricted, among which the names of Furkan Karabay, Irfan Degirmenci, Hilmi Hacaloglu, Haktan Wal, Alex Crawford and Erdal Saglam are cited.
The mass blocking also covers nearly 300 profiles on the Ex platform, which have reported on topics with high public resonance, and various investigations into financial fraud, murders and the activities of the religious order “Furkan“ are cited as examples.
Media analyses indicate that administrative and judicial measures are not limited to the Internet. A number of journalists have been arrested in the past month, including Selahattin Günday, Oya Lale Ozan Arslan, Hüseyin Aykan, Ali Tarakçı, Tugba Tekerek, Fatih Ergin and Derya Okatan, and the media group “Tele 1“ (Tele1) was temporarily closed after the detention of its editor-in-chief Merdan Yanardag, the media outlet recalls.