Turkey Blocks T24
Turkish Authorities Shut Independent News Outlet T24 Over Alleged LGBTQ+ Propaganda
Anonymous
Key Points
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The “My Family is Safe” operation was launched as part of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s “Decade of Family and Population” initiative, which Reuters described as a response to falling birth rates and an aging population. Police raids in 12 provinces targeted LGBTQ+ bars, association offices and activists’ homes.
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Yıldız Tar said the T24 articles cited by authorities covered LGBTQ+ rights, hate killings and LGBTQ+ people’s experiences after Turkey’s 2023 earthquake.
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T24 said just under half of the people named in the complaint had left the outlet years earlier. It also denied receiving millions in funding to promote LGBTQ+ issues and said authorities had not provided a public list of the 118 articles cited.
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The investigation also involved substantial arrests: Article 2 reports that prosecutors issued arrest warrants for more than 160 people, while Article 1 says dozens had been jailed pending trial.
Turkish authorities blocked independent news outlet T24 and 150 social media accounts, alleging the site published 118 pieces of "LGBT propaganda" over the past year. News Sources reported the shutdown came as part of the government's "My Family is Safe" operation, which targets LGBTQ+ groups and activists under the banner of protecting children and family values.
T24 rejected the allegations, saying its coverage was journalism, not propaganda. Journalists' Groups and opposition figures condemned the move as a serious threat to press freedom in Turkey, where online speech restrictions have widened to include blocks on accounts belonging to journalists, rights advocates, and organizations tracking internet censorship.
What T24 Actually Published, According to Critics
T24's LGBTQ+ editor, Yıldız Tar, said the outlet's cited articles covered LGBTQ+ rights, hate killings, and people's experiences after Turkey's devastating 2023 earthquake. Tar warned the case risks treating objective reporting on LGBTQ+ people as a crime. Sources noted that authorities never released a public list of the 118 articles they claimed violated the law.
Government's Family Protection Campaign Expands Rapidly
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's "Decade of Family and Population" initiative launched the "My Family is Safe" operation to address Turkey's falling birth rates and aging population. Reuters reported that police raids targeted LGBTQ+ bars, association offices, and activists' homes across 12 provinces. Prosecutors issued arrest warrants for more than 160 people, with dozens jailed pending trial.
T24's Defense Against Funding and Staff Claims
T24 disputed the government's claims on multiple fronts. Just under half of the people named in the complaint had left the outlet years earlier. The news site also denied receiving millions in funding to promote LGBTQ+ issues and said authorities provided no transparent evidence for their allegations. Reports indicate the T24 editors are appealing the decision.
Widening Crackdown on Speech and Independent Media
The T24 shutdown is part of a broader pattern. Social media accounts belonging to journalists, human rights advocates, and organizations that track internet censorship have also been blocked. Coverage noted this represents an escalating threat to press freedom in Turkey, with independent outlets facing mounting pressure from government authorities.
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