ANKARA, Sept 30 (Reuters) – A Turkish court has ordered the blocking of access to the website and social media accounts of independent news portal T24 over content deemed “LGBT propaganda”, the Justice Ministry announced on Wednesday.
Earlier this month, dozens of individuals were detained as part of an investigation into LGBTQ+ organizations in Turkey, known as “My Family is Safe”, which the government claims is intended to protect children and traditional family values.
As part of these proceedings, Istanbul’s 1st Criminal Court of Peace mandated the restriction of T24’s online platforms after authorities determined that the outlet had published 118 articles over the previous year that were classified as “LGBT propaganda”, according to a statement from the ministry.
The order has been forwarded to Turkey’s Cyber Security Presidency for enforcement.
T24 stated that it had not yet received formal notification regarding the ban and intends to challenge the decision upon receipt of official documentation.
In connection with the investigation, Turkish officials have already restricted access to websites and social media accounts associated with LGBTQ+ advocacy groups, activists, and independent media, including the X (formerly Twitter) account of Amnesty International’s Turkey branch.
The sweeping measures have attracted condemnation from human rights organizations and European policymakers. The European Union has voiced concern over both the arrests and the censorship of digital platforms, urging Ankara to respect freedom of expression and press liberties.
Human Rights Watch has warned that the crackdown undermines fundamental rights and the rule of law, calling on Turkish authorities to cease their targeting of LGBTQ+ communities and their supporters.
(Reporting by Huseyin Hayatsever and Ece Toksabay; Editing by Gareth Jones)
