MEDIA MONITORING DATABASE
Access block to Independent Türkçe website
RELATED PERSON OR INSTITUTION
Independent Türkçe
CITY
Ankara
YEAR OF INTERFERENCE
2020
LAST UPDATED
18/05/2020
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

Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) imposed access ban to the website of Independent Türkçe, the Turkish edition of UK based newspaper The Independence. Nevzat Çiçek, the editor-in-chief of the newspaper stated that the imposition was reciprocal to the access ban issued to websites of Anadolu Agency and TRT in Saudi Arabia.

Nevzat Çiçek, the Editor-in-Chief of the news website said “It is said that the decision in question has been taken to reciprocate the Saudi Arabia’s access block on especially [state-run] Anadolu Agency and [state channel] TRT. The Turkey branch of the UK-based The Independent has been at the center of such a decision due to partnership.” Alongside with Independent Türkçe, access ban was issued to 18 websites including SKY News and Al-Arabiya, which are either owned by Saudi citizens or based in the country.

He added that they continue publishing news on http://indyturky.com.

Ankara 8 Criminal Peace Judgeship rejected the application requesting access block decision to be lifted, on May 13.