ANKARA — A coalition of 21 human‑rights groups, including Human Rights Watch and Article 19, issued a joint statement on Monday urging social‑media platforms such as X to resist Turkish court orders that have blocked hundreds of accounts belonging to journalists, activists, academics and independent media outlets.

Groups decry restrictions on free expression

The organizations argue that the blocking orders violate the fundamental right to freedom of expression. They specifically highlighted the recent order to block access to at least 1,270 accounts, including the independent news site T24, which they described as “one of Turkey’s biggest and oldest remaining independent news outlets.”

According to the statement, the Turkish government justified the measures as necessary for public safety and crime prevention, yet provided no clear explanation of how the targeted content threatened those objectives.

Platform response and legal challenge

Elon Musk’s platform X confirmed that it had complied with the orders under pressure but is challenging them in court. X warned that continued non‑compliance could result in severe sanctions, including throttling of the entire platform in Turkey. The company maintains that keeping the service accessible is essential for supporting freedom of expression and access to information.

Broader context of press pressure

The call from rights groups comes as journalists covering a recent Turkish investment‑fund scandal—linked to a senior figure in President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling party—face heightened pressure. Two journalists were arrested last week for alleged misinformation related to the scandal, and two others were placed under house arrest.

The Turkish government has pledged to bring those responsible for the scandal to justice, but critics say the crackdown on media and civil‑society voices undermines democratic accountability.

What’s next?

The human‑rights coalition urges platforms to take “meaningful steps immediately” to uphold their human‑rights responsibilities and avoid contributing to the suppression of independent media. They also call on Turkish authorities to cease issuing blocking orders that restrict content and accounts on social‑media and websites.

Original reporting: Alexandria, VA News – WTOP News — read the source article.