Turkey bans T24 news site as dissent crackdown widens: What to know

Ezgi Akin

Sep 30, 2026

LGBT+ supporters outside an Istanbul courthouse — People gather outside an Istanbul courthouse behind a banner reading, "Being LGBT+ and organising are not a crime. Let our friends be released," during a demonstration in Istanbul on Sept. 15, 2026. Authorities have blocked social media accounts belonging to human rights defenders and media outlets as part of operations dubbed "My Family Is Safe." — Ozan Kose/ AFP via Getty Images

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ANKARA — An Istanbul court on Wednesday ordered an access ban for T24, Turkey’s award-winning news website, as the country widens its crackdown on dissent.

T24 is a liberal-leaning independent news outlet covering national politics, foreign policy, the economy, courts and crime, as well as culture and social issues.

What happened: An Istanbul court ordered the website blocked, citing 118 pieces of content published over the past year that authorities alleged were “LGBT propaganda.”

T24 Ankara bureau chief Gokcer Tahincioglu said the ruling was the result of a weeks-long social media smear campaign accusing the outlet of "spreading LGBT propaganda.”