The Turkish government once again restricted internet access in response to anti-government protests. Following the court-ordered removal of the CHP’s Istanbul provincial leadership and subsequent demonstrations, opposition media outlets reporting on the events were threatened with license revocation by RTÜK Chairman Ebubekir Şahin.
In a statement on X, Şahin targeted critical outlets, warning: “All necessary measures, including license cancellation, will be enforced.”
Social media blackout
As police surrounded the CHP Istanbul headquarters and protests grew, the ruling AKP implemented a “bandwidth throttling” measure, a method frequently used during major public events in Turkey.
On Monday morning, users reported being unable to access X, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. YouTube videos would not load, posts could not be shared on X, and some users also faced disruptions on WhatsApp and Telegram depending on their mobile service providers.
According to monitoring group EngelliWeb, the bandwidth of X, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok was restricted, while WhatsApp and Telegram were “so far only affected on certain networks.”
Outcry over internet restrictions
Observers criticized the government for attempting to block public awareness of the developments. Reactions on social media read: “They have left us with no law, no freedom of assembly or movement, and no right to information!”
No official statement was made on when the restrictions would be lifted.
