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TRCulture19 days ago

Court bans X account of Turkey's oldest newspaper

An Elazığ court ordered the blocking of the X account ofCumhuriyet, Turkey's oldest newspaper, citing Article 8/A of the Internet Law, which permits content blocks for reasons including national security and public order. The newspaper changed its handle to potentially bypass the ban, though the account remains accessible in Turkey. The exact reason for the block was not specified.

An Elazığ court has ordered an access block on the X account of the daily Cumhuriyet , the Freedom of Expression Association announced today.

The Elazığ 2nd Penal Judgeship of Peace issued the ruling based on Article 8/A of the Internet Law. This article allows for content blocks on grounds of national security, public order, crime prevention, protection of public health, or protecting the right to life and property.

İFÖD did not provide details about the exact reason for the blocking order.

Following the ruling, Cumhuriyet changed its handle from @cumhuriyetgzt to @cumhuriyetgzt1, presumably to circumvent the ban. The account, which has more than 3.4 million followers, is still accessible from Turkey.

It's not clear whether this accessibility is due to the handle change or because X has not yet implemented the ruling. While the platform generally complies with such orders, it occasionally refrains from doing so.

Founded in 1924, Cumhuriyet is the longest-running newspaper in Turkey. The secularist-nationalist paper, whose name literally means "republic," was established with the involvement of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the republic.

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3 September 2025

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Read the full article at Bianet →
Source document: Freedom of Expression Association (İFÖD)

1 reports

BianetIndependentCenter19 days ago
Court bans X account of Turkey's oldest newspaper

An Elazığ court ordered the blocking of the X account ofCumhuriyet, Turkey's oldest newspaper, citing Article 8/A of the Internet Law, which permits content blocks for reasons including national security and public order. The newspaper changed its handle to potentially bypass the ban, though the account remains accessible in Turkey. The exact reason for the block was not specified.

Bias read (Center): The article presents facts without overtly favoring any side. It reports on the court decision, the legal basis, the newspaper's response, and contextual information aboutCumhuriyetand internet restrictions in Turkey. There is no evident editorializing or biased language.

Official sources cited

  • organisation Freedom of Expression Association (İFÖD)
  • government Elazığ 2nd Penal Judgeship of Peace

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  • organisationFreedom of Expression Association (İFÖD)
  • governmentElazığ 2nd Penal Judgeship of Peace