Turkey’s government has introduced a new bill that would allow the removal of online content before a judge issues a ruling, Turkish Minute reported.
The proposal is part of an omnibus bill known as the 11th Judicial Package and was submitted to the Turkish Parliament by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). It amends Law No. 5651, which regulates online publications. The same parts of the law were previously struck down by the Constitutional Court for violating press freedom protections in the Turkish Constitution.
The bill lets individuals claim that a post or article harms their personal rights and ask a criminal court of peace, a lower court that handles content orders, to remove the material. Under the new language, authorities can order the content taken down without waiting for the judge’s decision if officials say the violation is clear at first sight. A formal order from the judge can then follow within 24 hours. Critics say the term “clear at first sight” has no defined meaning in Turkish law and could allow state agencies to pressure online publishers.
The package also targets large social media companies based outside Turkey. Any platform that receives more than 10 million visits a day from inside the country could face limits on its internet traffic if it does not comply with a court order to remove content. Courts could restrict the platform’s connection speeds by half and later by as much as 90 percent if the company does not carry out the order, which would make the site nearly unreachable inside Turkey.
The proposal rewrites earlier rules on removing or blocking content by adding a new concept called “removal from the internet,” which allows authorities to require that disputed material be taken down across all online locations. The bill also allows the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK), Turkey’s telecommunications regulator, to notify hosting companies about claimed violations on this basis.
Opposition lawmakers and press freedom groups say the bill gives the government fast and sweeping control over online information and could be used against independent media.
