Freedom House has designated Turkey as “not free” in its annual “ Freedom on the Net” report for 2021, which evaluates the level of internet freedom in 70 countries around the world.
Turkey registered a decline in Internet freedom for a third year in a row, according to the report, sliding one point since last year to score 34 out of 100.
The report highlighted the blocking of hundreds of websites in the country, with some cases under a new social media law, the removal of content deemed critical of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) from websites and social media platforms and the harassment of online activists, journalists, and social media users, both physically and online, for their social media posts.
The Turkish government has intensified a crackdown on Internet freedom following the failed coup attempt of July 2016, after which it moved to block numerous news and citizen journalism websites, particularly those that are critical of the government.
Last year, the government passed a controversial social media law, that makes foreign social media sites more accountable by requiring them to appoint a local representative to address authorities’ concerns, among other measures, including streamlining the way courts can order news reports to be blocked or removed from websites without a hearing – and increased penalties for non-compliance.
”Internet users and journalists faced increasing physical attacks as a result of their online activity,’’ Freedom House said, while highlighting the cases of online journalist Levent Gültekin, who was attacked by a far-right mob in March of this year, and opposition politicians Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu and Canan Kaftancıoğlu, where sentenced to prison over Twitter posts.
More than 408,494 websites were inaccessible in Turkey as of July 2020, up from about 40,000 in 2013, Freedom House said, citing the Free Expression Association, a civil society initiative that lists blocked websites in the country.
”Content removals often occur without transparency,’’ it said, noting that the YouTube account of Tele1 news outlet, which shares contents criticizing the government, ”was suspended without explanation,’’ and later reinstated.
Covering physical violence due to online content, the report said lawmakers of the political opposition frequently experience online harassment, highlighting the targeting of pro-Kurdish politician Gergerlioğlu by far-right Nationalist Movement Party leader Devlet Bahçeli on social media.
Turkey scored 15 out of 25 in obstacles to access, 10 out of 35 in limits on content and nine out of 40 in violations of user rights according to the report, which ranked China as the worst environment for internet freedom for the seventh year in a row.
Ahval