Court blocks access to Turkey's popular car, motorcycle sharing app

Photo: AA/File

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A commercial court in İstanbul has ruled that access to the mobile application and website of the Martı app should be blocked.

The order covers the company's car and motorcycle sharing services, named "Martı TAG" and "Martı Motorcycle," according to Free Web Turkey, a platform monitoring internet censorship in the country.

An İstanbul chamber of commerce of taxi drivers had applied to the 14th Commercial Court of First Instance demanding a ban on the app. It had accused the company of providing unlicensed taxi services.

It was proven that the company's services would cause serious loss for taxi drivers, according to the court ruling. The company can appeal the verdict within a week.

The Martı app was still accessible at 3 p.m. local time (GMT+3).

Eyüp Aksu, head of the chamber, welcomed the court decision on Twitter, saying, "Our belief in the justice of Almighty Allah and the supreme Turkish judiciary."

Founded in 2019 as a scooter-sharing app, Martı expanded its services to car and motorcycle sharing in the following years.

The company claims it does not profit from its car sharing services. (TY)