Freedom House gave Türkiye a score of 31 out of 100 in its 2026 Freedom on the Net report, the same as the previous year, and rated the country “Not Free.” Türkiye scored 14 out of 25 for obstacles to access, 10 out of 35 for limits on content and 7 out of 40 for violations of user rights. The report said access to social media platforms was throttled during opposition protests, numerous news reports and websites were blocked, and journalists and social media users faced investigations and prosecutions over their posts. It highlighted internet restrictions imposed during developments involving the opposition in September 2025. Freedom House lowered Türkiye’s score on the relevant indicator from 2 to 1 because of an increase in attacks on journalists, citing the physical assault on journalist Hakkı Sağlam in January 2026 and the armed attack on journalist Nafiz Koca in October 2025. It warned that legislation adopted in April 2026 restricting social media use by children under 15 could create privacy risks through age-verification systems. The substantial restoration of internet infrastructure in the earthquake region was assessed positively, and the score in that area increased from 5 to 6. Türkiye’s overall score therefore remained unchanged.
26 October 2026
Independent Türkçe