Access to more than 40,000 URL addresses was blocked by authorities last year, according to the Free Web Turkey 2022 report. Among the blocked URLs were 35,066 domain names, 3,196 news articles, 2,090 social media posts, and 184 social media accounts.
The most common targets for censorship were news articles that mentioned alleged irregularities related to the government and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his family, according to the report. Additionally, websites with content opposing the government's ideology were prominently blocked, categorized as "critical websites."
FREE WEB TURKEY REPORT
42 percent of blocked news related to AKP, pro-government people
Among these "critical websites," Etkin New Agency (ETHA), Mezopotamya Agency, Kızıl Bayrak, Jin News, Siyasi Haber, Umut Gazetesi, Komün Dergi, Gazete Yolculuk, Özgür Gelecek, PİRHA, Yeni Demokrasi, and Kaldıraç Dergisi had 53 domain names blocked through 51 different decisions. Such outlets usually circumvent access bans by changing their domain names.
The military’s role
Concerning the blocking of URLs, Adana Provincial Gendarmerie Command topped the list with 12,208 blocked URLs, followed by Denizli Provincial Gendarmerie Command with 5,252 and Elazığ Provincial Gendarmerie Command with 4,983. All these URLs were blocked on allegations of promoting "adult content, gambling, fraud, financial sites, and terrorism."
The reasons for blocking URLs included accusations of "illegal and/or explicit content sharing" and safeguarding "national security and public order." This particularly affected opposition websites with content opposing the government's ideology.
Articles about Erdoğan
In the category of news articles, the most frequently restricted subject matter was news related to allegations of irregularities involving Erdoğan and his family. Around 1,770 articles discussing these allegations faced access restrictions. This was followed by 517 articles reporting irregularities concerning individuals and organizations affiliated with the ruling party (AKP).
Furthermore, 402 articles were blocked concerning President Erdoğan's former lawyer, Mustafa Doğan İnal. The reasons for blocking news articles were predominantly "violations of personal rights" and "preservation of national security and public order."
The majority of the blocked URLs were based on accusations of "violations of personal rights," numbering 3,191 out of 3,196 blocked news articles, followed by 3 articles blocked for "preservation of national security and public order" and 2 articles blocked for "statute of limitations, no longer meeting the criteria of 'reality and accuracy' at that time." (HA/VK)
