In 2016, months before a coup attempt, Turkey moved even more aggressively to censor content on the Internet, as the number of people prosecuted for insulting Mr. Erdogan in social media posts skyrocketed. At the same time, government-loyal internet trolls used social media platforms to attack critics and journalists.
In 2017, the country surprised many international observers when it banned Wikipedia, a restriction that was lifted only last January.
Last summer, Turkey gave its media regulatory authority full control of streaming services, including entertainment sites like Netflix.
Netflix, which is the most prominent streaming service in Turkey, has already struggled with Turkish censors and has had to edit the content of its Turkish-produced shows, removing cigarettes and blurring suggestive gestures.
Last week Netflix canceled its fourth Turkish production a day before filming was scheduled to start, after the Turkish media regulatory authority rejected permission to film. Ece Yorenc, the screenwriter, said the authority had refused to grant permission for the “If Only” series because of a gay character in the series. Netflix decided to cancel the entire series instead of changing the content, he said.
The issue of social media content took a personal turn more recently, when Erdogan’s newborn grandson, his daughter’s fourth son, Esra Albayrak, and Berat Albayrak, who is also the finance minister – was insulted on various social media platforms.
“The spaces where lies, defamation, attack on personal rights, character killings are going crazy, must be put in order,” Erdogan told party officials in a televised speech on July 1.
