Human rights organisations denounce the clampdown on digital freedoms in Turkey

In a joint submission for Turkey’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR), human rights organisations have condemned the crackdown on digital space by the Turkish authorities. In particular, the review pinpoints the mass blockings of websites and platforms. It notes that ‘State of Emergency Decrees’ have been used to remove and block websites without judicial oversight. Furthermore, judicial orders were issued to block more than 10 VPN services and at least 3 000 online articles. YouTube has been banned in the country since 2015 and Wikipedia has been blocked since 2017 for not removing content that alleges the Turkish government’s support of terrorist groups in Syria.