Journalists decry crackdown after Turkey blocks news site over 'LGBT propaganda' 

By Ali Kucukgocmen

ANKARA, Oct 1 (Reuters) - A Turkish journalist whose articles were cited among the grounds for blocking independent news portal T24 said the decision effectively treated objective reporting about LGBTQ+ people as a crime, as the outlet prepared to appeal the order on Thursday.

A court ordered access to T24's website and social media accounts blocked after authorities said it had published 118 pieces of content over the past year deemed to constitute "LGBT propaganda".

The decision was taken as part of the "My Family is Safe" investigation, a widening crackdown targeting LGBTQ+ groups which the government says aims to protect children and family values, but which has drawn sharp criticism from rights groups and European officials.

Yildiz Tar, editor-in-chief of LGBTQ+ news outlet Kaos GL, and whose articles published by T24 were among those cited, rejected the authorities' description of the reporting.

"It creates the image that writing about LGBTQI people in an objective way is a crime, because all of the articles I wrote were objective," Tar said in an interview.

"It's not propaganda. It's about basic journalism. It's about reality," he said, adding that the articles covered LGBTQ+ rights, hate killings and the experiences of LGBTQ+ people after the 2023 earthquake in Turkey.

'STATE OF EMERGENCY'

Candan Yildiz, T24's editor in charge, said the decision further expanded restrictions that began last month with operations against LGBTQ+ organisations and activists.

"We are really experiencing a digital state of emergency," she told Reuters. "An authority is telling journalists: you can report these stories, but you cannot report those. This really undermines the foundations of our profession."

T24's lawyers were due to appeal the decision on Thursday, Yildiz said.

"Journalism cannot be shut down. We are doing our jobs," she said.

DETENTIONS

Dozens of people have been jailed pending trial as part of the investigation, and courts have blocked websites and social media accounts belonging to LGBTQ+ groups, activists and media outlets.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has toughened his anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric in recent years, and last month at the UN General Assembly said a trend of "global gender-neutralisation policies" could be countered by protecting the traditional family.

The European Union has expressed concern over the recent arrests and online restrictions and called on Turkey to uphold freedom of expression and media freedom.

The vast majority ofTurkish media is seen as pro-government after years of state legal and financial pressure, corporate acquisitions and self-censorship.

(Reporting by Ali Kucukgocmen in Istanbul, Writing by Ece Toksabay; Editing by Daren Butler and Jonathan Spicer )