RSF reports press freedom violations in Turkey following the earthquake
RSF reports press freedom violations in Turkey post-earthquake, urging the government to cease harassing journalists covering the crisis. They tracked physical violence, arrests, legal actions, online assaults, and Twitter restrictions. Access to information online was restricted, including a significant bandwidth reduction during criticism of the ruling party’s response on February 7. NetBlocks confirmed Twitter access restrictions on February 8.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) urges the Turkish government to stop the harassment of journalists who have been trying to report on the situation on the ground in Turkey after the earthquake on 6 February. Since then, RSF has been keeping an eye out for press freedom violations involving physical violence, arrests, legal proceedings, online attacks, and Twitter access restrictions. The information available online has also been limited. On 7 February, when the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) was under harsh criticism for its crisis management, internet bandwidth was significantly constrained for more than ten hours. NetBlocks, an internet governance watchdog, reported on 8 February that its data confirmed Twitter access restrictions.