Turkey’s top telecommunications authority may soon gain sweeping powers to block access to global social media platforms such as Facebook, X, WhatsApp, and YouTube without a court order, under a new draft regulation prepared by the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK), according to a report by Ekonomim.
The draft regulation, which has been released for public comment, would significantly expand BTK’s authority to directly restrict access to internet-based communication platforms on grounds of national security, public order, or public health. The new powers would mark a departure from the current framework, where such restrictions are typically enforced through court decisions under Turkey’s internet law.
In addition to granting administrative blocking authority, the proposal mandates that platforms with more than one million users in Turkey must establish a legal entity—a limited or joint stock company—within the country. These entities would be subject to licensing by BTK and required to comply with extensive technical, financial, and administrative regulations.
Foreign-based platforms that fail to secure the necessary authorization within six months after the regulation’s implementation date of January 1, 2026, would face up to a 95 percent reduction in bandwidth and eventual service suspension in Turkey. Noncompliant companies could also face administrative fines of up to 30 million Turkish lira (approximately $789,000).
The proposed rules also introduce broader state oversight mechanisms related to consumer protection, fair competition, data security, interoperability, and incident reporting. BTK would be authorized to issue further regulations to enforce public order and national security.
The move comes amid growing international concern over digital freedoms in Turkey. Freedom House currently classifies the country as “not free” with regard to internet access, citing increased censorship, surveillance, and legal restrictions in recent years. Temporary social media bans and bandwidth throttling have been employed in previous instances of political unrest, including the recent detention of Istanbul’s mayor and dozens of municipal officials.
