Turkish authorities have blocked access in Turkey to the social media accounts of several pro-Kurdish news outlets and journalists, the Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG) reported.
Among the accounts blocked were the X account of the Nupel Kurdi news platform and the Instagram and Bluesky accounts of the Mezopotamya News Agency (MA), both of which publish in Kurdish.
The X accounts of journalists Abdurrahman Gök, Roza Arpa, Dilan Babat and Sema Bingöl were also blocked from access in Turkey, although authorities have yet to issue an official explanation.
Arpa, Babat and Gök said they would continue reporting on X through newly opened accounts.
The restrictions come as some of the affected journalists are already facing prosecution. Babat was previously investigated over an October 2025 report on the suspicious death of university student Rojin Kabaiş on accusations of “publicly disseminating misleading information,” while Gök is on trial on terrorism-related charges based on a secret witness statement.
Turkey’s growing use of digital censorship has been flagged by press freedom and rights groups as a major driver of the country’s declining standing in global media freedom rankings.
The US-based democracy watchdog Freedom House’s “2025 Freedom on the Net” report placed Turkey among the five countries with the steepest long-term declines in internet freedom. The organization cited broad censorship practices and intensified digital controls over the past 15 years, giving Turkey a score of 31 out of 100, putting it in the bottom tier of the 72 countries assessed.
The country was ranked 159th out of 180 countries in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
