Social media access restrictions expand in the fund investigation
Social media access restrictions implemented within the scope of the fund investigation are expanding to include figures known for pro-government posts.
As access restrictions imposed on social media accounts within the scope of the fund investigation continue to widen, it has been reported that accounts belonging to figures known for pro-government posts, such as Alper Temurî, have also been blocked from Turkey.
The scope of access restrictions is widening
Social media access restrictions initiated around the fund investigation continue to expand without slowing down. While the accounts of economists, journalists, academics, and various news organizations were previously blocked from access in Turkey, users known for their pro-government posts faced this practice in the latest wave.
The example of Alper Temurî and recent events
One of the latest examples of this situation was Alper Temurî. Temurî was blocked from access from Turkey following his post listing certain figures close to the AK Party whose names were reflected in the public opinion regarding the fund investigation.
Although the close timing between Temurî's post and the access restriction draws attention, it is not definitively known whether the sanction was applied solely due to this post, as the full content of the decision text has not been disclosed to the public.
The process of making accounts invisible from Turkey
This process, known as account closure, generally does not mean the complete deletion of the X account worldwide. In line with the access restriction decision transmitted from Turkey, the platform in question conceals the relevant account only from users in Turkey.
Legal basis and statement by the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office
In its statement dated September 17, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office announced that an access restriction decision was issued by the Istanbul 1st Criminal Judgeship of Peace regarding 246 social media accounts that made speculative posts concerning capital market instruments intended to panic investors.
The Prosecutor's Office stated that this decision was forwarded to the Presidency of Cyber Security for implementation.
Law No. 5651 and rapid interventions
Article 8/A of Law No. 5651 allows for the removal of content or blocking of access on grounds such as national security, public order, and the prevention of crimes.
Since decisions rendered under the law are executed within four hours at the latest from notification, accounts can be quickly blocked from access without waiting for lengthy judicial processes.
Constitutional Court rulings and criticisms
In its previous evaluations, the Constitutional Court stated that the measures within the scope of Article 8/A are envisioned for exceptional situations requiring urgent intervention.
In its 2023 Artı Media decision, the Court ruled that this practice lacked safeguards to prevent arbitrary interventions and violated freedom of expression and the press.
Public debate and the new axis
The failure to concretely explain the grounds for the decisions brings the question of within what limits and under what legal guarantees public debates can be conducted back to the center of the agenda.