Turkish Government Restricts Access To Social Media Platforms, From X To YouTube

JAKARTA - The Turkish government reportedly imposed restrictions on a number of digital platforms in its country, on Monday, September 8. This decision was taken due to ongoing political tensions.

Based on reports from internet monitoring organization NetBlocks, access restrictions on a number of social media platforms include X, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, to WhatsApp.

Confirmed: Direct metric data shows that online platforms including X, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and WhatsApp have been restricted in Turkey to several networks, NetBlocks wrote on its official website.

The live metricals NetBlocks report stated that the disruption occurred in several key networks in the country, and emerged amid rising political tensions, after the Republican People's Party (CHP) the government's main opposition called for demonstrations.

"This incident occurred when the main opposition party CHP called for a demonstration after police blockaded their headquarters in Istanbul," he added.

According to Reuters, data from the Turkish Freedom of Expression Association, which monitors local censorship on the internet, also confirmed the access issue began at 20.45 GMT on Sunday.

However, Turkish authorities have yet to provide an official statement regarding the reasons behind the restrictions on access to a number of social media.