Access to some of the most popular online services has been restricted across Turkey. NetBlocks, the global internet monitor, reported that X, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and WhatsApp all went down on Sunday night. Telegram and Signal were also affected.
The restrictions coincided with protests and rallies called for by the opposition Republican People’s Party, known as CHP. Police had set up barricades outside the party’s Istanbul headquarters after a court ruling removed CHP’s leadership and replaced them with trustees. The move led to an immediate call for demonstrations.
The Freedom of Expression Association in Turkey, which tracks censorship, confirmed the disruptions. The Access Providers Union, which enforces blocking orders, has not released any statement on the matter. This silence has added to questions over the scale and intent of the blocks.
Rights groups have long warned that Turkish authorities often tighten controls on digital spaces during politically tense moments. Restrictions on social platforms are now a recurring pattern whenever large gatherings or public unrest are expected.
What Triggered The Restrictions?
The timing was tied to Istanbul authorities banning protests for four days across six districts starting on 7 September. Within hours of that announcement, access to social and messaging platforms fell sharply.
NetBlocks confirmed that “live metrics show online platforms including X, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and WhatsApp have been restricted in Türkiye on multiple networks.” The group linked the timing directly to calls for CHP rallies after police sealed off the party’s base in Istanbul.
This is not the first such measure. Isik Mater, director of research at NetBlocks, told Türkiye Today that the blockade “was last experienced during Ekrem Imamoglu’s arrest.” Imamoglu, the former mayor of Istanbul, faced his own restrictions when authorities sought to limit unrest after his detention.
The Turkish parliament passed a law in October 2022 giving authorities new powers to restrict bandwidth of online services. This so-called disinformation law gives regulators a legal tool to slow down or cut access during moments deemed politically sensitive.
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How Long Will The Blocks Last?
At present there is no timeline for a return to normal internet use. Mater confirmed to Türkiye Today that “there is no improvement at this time.” The blackout continues to hit multiple networks across the country, though Istanbul has felt the hardest impact.
The lack of an official explanation has caused anger from rights groups and users together. Access to platforms such as WhatsApp is especially disruptive given how deeply it is tied to daily communication in Turkey. Unlike entertainment apps, WhatsApp and Telegram are necessities to personal and professional contact for millions.
Earlier in the week a separate outage affected Google services, including YouTube, across Turkey and parts of Europe. While that outage was technical rather than political, it has added to a sense of insecurity about digital freedoms in the country.
How Are Citizens Using VPNs?
For many in Turkey the immediate response has been to turn to virtual private networks, or VPNs. These tools create a secure tunnel between a device and a server outside the country. By routing traffic through that server, users can appear to be accessing the internet from abroad.
VPNs are not new to Turkey and their popularity grows each time the government restricts access to online services. During the 2019 local elections and during Imamoglu’s arrest, VPN use sreally went up. Similar patterns are now being reported during the present blackout.
While VPNs allow access, they won’t necessarily solve the issue entirely. Speeds often go down, connections can be unstable and authorities sometimes block known VPN servers. Even with this, many citizens view them as the only reliable way to stay in touch during restrictions.
