Turkiye: Turkish Constitutional Court publishes ruling on access-blocking

On 7 January 2022, the Turkish Constitutional Court published a ruling regarding access blocking of newspaper articles and reports (Decision No. 2018/14884). The ruling overturned blocking orders concerning online news articles that allegedly harmed the reputation of politicians and public servants. The blockings were issued without notice to or hearing of the content or hosting providers, a procedure reserved only for blatant violations that judges can determine without a hearing (prima facie). The court overruled the orders, limited the use of the blocking procedure to criminal cases with a heightened harm threshold and increased safeguards and reversal procedures.