Social media platforms censor journalists’ accounts at Turkey’s request

Major social media platforms have blocked access to several journalists' accounts in Turkey following court orders.

In the past week alone, Abdurrahman Gök, Oktay Candemir, and Ruşen Takva had their X accounts restricted. Gök’s Instagram and YouTube pages were also censored.

The court rulings cited vague justifications such as "national security, public order, and preventing the spread of misleading information."

The timing of the censorship coincides with an increase in government actions against opposition figures, including discussions on a new Kurdish peace process, the government takeover of opposition municipalities, and a crackdown on dissent.

'They don’t even bother pressing charges anymore’

Speaking to bianet, Ruşen Takva criticized the increasing pressure on journalism in Turkey, saying that journalists are being forced to take sides.

"A journalist is a journalist. They must stand by the truth, no matter what," he said, adding that the current system has left little room for independent reporting.

Takva described how the 2017 shift to a presidential system drastically changed the media landscape in Turkey, pushing the majority of outlets into government-aligned positions, while independent journalists have faced constant pressure.

"Today, 95% of the media aligns with the government, enjoying a comfortable space while calling it journalism. The remaining 5% continues to uphold the truth, but the Islamist government, using its control over the judiciary, is systematically silencing these journalists," he said.

Takva himself was detained along with five other journalists for reporting on the government’s appointment of a trustee to Van Metropolitan Municipality, facing accusations of “spreading misleading information.”

He emphasized that journalists, particularly Kurdish ones, face more severe and normalized repression.

"The political power no longer even bothers pressing charges before detaining or censoring journalists. They have reached a point where they simply say, ‘We did it, and that’s that,’" he said.

Despite these pressures, Takva stated he would continue reporting the truth and urged fellow journalists to organize against censorship.

‘Platforms have become an extension of local law’

Journalist Abdurrahman Gök also criticized social media platforms for complying with government censorship requests.

He accused X, YouTube, and Meta of abandoning their own content policies and aiding in government censorship.

"These platforms have clear community guidelines that everyone using them must follow. If someone violates them, the platform enforces its own measures. But when their financial interests are at stake, they ignore their own rules and comply with Turkey’s unlawful censorship demands," Gök said.

He pointed out that entire accounts, channels, and websites are being blocked instead of specific posts, describing this as "collective punishment" that affects not only journalists but also their audiences.

"This is a serious violation. But instead of addressing the issue, platforms hide behind bureaucratic excuses, claiming they are simply acting on ‘official requests.’ We don’t even know where to appeal, because we are not informed of the decision," he added.

Gök recounted his own experience appealing to YouTube, which had restricted his channel in Turkey.

"I filed an appeal, but YouTube rejected it almost immediately. They won’t even disclose which government body requested the ban or provide a copy of the decision," he said, accusing platforms of becoming direct enforcers of government censorship.

Legal changes and increasing censorship

Social media platforms operating in Turkey have increasingly complied with government censorship demands, particularly following the passage of the Social Media Law in October 2020, which required companies to establish local offices in the country, making them more vulnerable to state pressure.

The blocking of journalists’ accounts has raised concerns about press freedom, with experts arguing that these restrictions aim to silence opposition voices.

Rights organizations warn that these practices pose a serious threat to both press freedom and the public’s right to access information.

Turkey continues to rank among the worst countries for press freedom, with increasing legal pressure, detentions, arrests, and social media censorship reinforcing concerns over government control of the media. (HA/VK)