MEDIA MONITORING DATABASE
Access ban to Al Watan Newspaper’s website
RELATED PERSON OR INSTITUTION
Al Watan Newspaper
CITY
Ankara
YEAR OF INTERFERENCE
2020
LAST UPDATED
19/04/2020
MEDIUM
Internet
Internet News Portal
THE TITLE OF WHOSE RIGHT IS INTERFERED
Media Outlet
RIGHTS GUARANTEED UNDER THE RIGHT OF FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
Right to Impart Information and Ideas
TYPE OF INTERFERENCE
Interferences by the Executive Power
BTK (The Information and Communication Technologies Authority)
Decision to block access
THE LEGAL GROUNDS FOR INTERFERENCE
Law on Regulating Broadcasting (Publication) in the Internet and Fighting Against Crimes Committed by Means of Such Broadcasting

An access ban was imposed on Independent Türkçe’s website on April 19 by the Information Technologies Board, and it was later found out that access to 18 websites based in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Dubai was blocked as well. Access block was issued to following sites: spa.gov.sa | Saudi official news agency, wam.ae | United Arab Emirates official news agency, albayan.ae | The newspaper of the official media agency of the Daubai Government, skynewsarabia.com | Arabic broadcast of British Sky News with Abu Dhabi center, independentturkish.com | British publication The Independent Turkey’s broadcast, you alhayat.co | London-based Arabic newspaper, sabq.org | Saudi Arabia based news site, alarabiya.net | Saudi Arabia based news channel, alekhbariya. Net | Saudi Arabia based news channel, okaz.com.sa | Saudi Arabia based newspaper, alriyadh.com | Saudi Arabia based newspaper, al-jazirah.com | Saudi Arabia based newspaper, alyaum.com | Saudi Arabia based newspaper, al-madina.com | Saudi Arabia based newspaper, alwatan.com.sa | Saudi Arabia based newspaper, ajel.sa | Saudi Arabia based online newspaper, ak-ain.com | Saudi Arabia based news site, alittihad.ae | United Arab Emirates-based newspaper