21 international organizations, including Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Article 19, have expressed their reaction to the access bans imposed on the social media accounts of journalists, academics, activists, and independent media outlets in Turkey.
According to the Associated Press, the organizations called on social media platforms to oppose the Turkish court decisions to block hundreds of accounts belonging to journalists and activists. The statement also requested that Turkish authorities halt the blocking orders against social media accounts and websites, which they argue violate freedom of expression.
The joint statement noted that Turkish authorities have instructed the X platform to block access to at least 1270 accounts. It was recorded that decisions have been taken in recent weeks regarding accounts belonging to independent media outlets, journalists, academics, and various civil society organizations. The government, however, defends the restrictions on the grounds of protecting public safety.
Social media platforms must take immediate, concrete steps to fulfill their human rights responsibilities, to avoid contributing to the silencing of independent media, and to prevent the violation of freedom of expression.
SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON T24 DECISION
The statement expressed particular concern regarding the access ban decision against the independent news site T24. The organizations emphasized that T24 is one of the largest and most established independent news organizations operating in Turkey.
Regarding T24, the joint statement said, "The blocking of T24 is particularly alarming. The decision cited the prevention of crime and the protection of public order as justifications. However, no explanation was provided as to how the content in question poses a threat in terms of these two objectives."
The organizations that signed the statement include HRW, Article 19, the Freedom of Expression Association (İFÖD), Amnesty International, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the International Press Institute (IPI), the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA), P24, and PEN International.
According to the AP report, there has been no response yet from the Turkish government or social media platforms regarding the joint statement. X announced in a statement in August that it was forced to comply with some access ban decisions in Turkey but that it had challenged these decisions in court.
X's Global Government Affairs unit had stated that failure to comply with court orders could lead to severe sanctions across Turkey, including the throttling of the platform's bandwidth. The company argued that keeping the platform accessible in Turkey is important for freedom of expression and access to information.
News Source: 12punto
