Free Web Turkey platform established to combat internet censorship

The Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA), in conjunction with the Social Information and Communication Association (TBİD) and the Alternative Information Association (Altbilişim) and other organizations have established the Free Web Turkey platform in an effort to combat and create awareness regarding online censorship in the country.

Duvar English 

The Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA), in conjunction with the Social Information and Communication Association (TBİD) and the Alternative Information Association (Altbilişim) and other organizations have established the Free Web Turkey platform in an effort to combat and create awareness regarding online censorship in the country. 

The site also aims to be an independent resource to inform and create awareness among journalists and lawyers regarding internet sites that are banned in the country, a common practice in recent years where access to major websites such as Wikipedia (which was recently unbanned in the country after nearly three years) alongside numerous local websites have been blocked in Turkey in recent years. 

Amid the increasing bans of websites in Turkey, the MLSA embarked on the Free Web Turkey project within the scope of the Netherlands Fund for Regional Partnership program (MATRA).

“The program now focuses on helping to strengthen civil society organizations, democracy and the rule of law in pre-accession countries, the countries of the Eastern Partnership and countries in the Arab region,” according to the program's website. 

Free Web Turkey aims to create a comprehensive database of blocked websites for the purpose of informing the public regarding the current state of internet censorship in Turkey.