Turkey’s justice minister has defended plans for sweeping new social media regulations, saying online platforms are “not a space of freedom” and confirming that the government intends to introduce legislation requiring identity verification for users, Turkish Minute reported, citing the Anka news agency.
Speaking on NTV, Justice Minister Akın Gürlek, the former İstanbul chief public prosecutor who was appointed to his current post earlier this month, said anonymous and fake accounts should no longer be permitted and that users must bear legal responsibility for their posts.
“If a person opens an account, they must assume responsibility for it. Fake accounts and anonymous accounts should not be opened,” he said.
Gürlek said current users of anonymous accounts could be given a transition period of up to four months to switch to verified identities or face account closure.
“If you are using a social media account, you will use your personal account,” he said, adding that he formed a special team to work on the issue on his first day in office earlier this month.
The minister claimed that anonymous accounts fuel online harassment, defamation and efforts to influence judicial proceedings, adding that judges are affected by commentary shared on social media, where users, he said, pass judgment without knowing the details of cases.
The proposed changes are expected to be included in Turkey’s 12th Judicial Reform Package. The debate initially centered on restricting social media access for children under 15 but has since expanded into broader regulation affecting both minors and adults.
According to previously reported details of the bill, platforms would be required to verify users’ identities through phone numbers or integration with the government’s e-Devlet digital services system.
Children under 15 will be barred from opening accounts, while additional technical or biometric measures could be introduced for users under 18.
The draft will also establish a mechanism allowing authorities to order the rapid removal of content deemed illegal without waiting for a court ruling.
Companies that fail to comply with verification or content removal requirements could face penalties, including phased internet bandwidth reductions, a measure Turkish regulators have previously used against social media platforms.
Gürlek also criticized what he described as “genderless” trends and “deviant movements,” saying the government will act against online content it considers harmful to public morality.
His remarks come in the wake of earlier legislative initiatives by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) targeting LGBTQ+ individuals. Similar provisions included in previous judicial reform packages were later withdrawn following public backlash.
Turkey has significantly expanded state oversight of the internet since a 2016 coup attempt, enacting laws that increased authorities’ powers to block websites, compel content removal, require social media companies to appoint local representatives and impose advertising bans or bandwidth restrictions on platforms that fail to comply with regulatory orders.
Rights groups say the cumulative effect of these measures has strengthened the government’s control over online speech and facilitated investigations and prosecutions related to social media activity.
The bill is expected to be submitted to parliament in the coming days.
