by Asli Telli Aydemir, EDRi member Alternative Informatics Association, Turkey
According to a new report by Freedom House, web freedom across the globe declined for the sixth consecutive year. Turkey was placed among the red-flag states in terms of web freedom in 2015-2016 and is now rated “not free” in “Freedom on the net 2016” report after repeated blocking of social media. The country's status score is “61/100 not free” with 13/25 for obstacles to access, 21/35 for limits on content and 27/40 for violations of user rights.

In an RT video Russia's military say Turkey is collaborating with ISIL (Islamic State) to trasnport oil stolen from Syria into Turkey, a collaboration that the Pentagon flatly denies.

By David Swanson
According to the Nation magazine and many others, there are two options available to the U.S. government. One is increased hostility perhaps leading to nuclear war with Russia. The other is a joint U.S.-Russia-and-others war on ISIS.

By Edri.org
Engelli Web is an independent monitoring website that lists websites blocked by the Turkish government. Currently it lists over 80 000 domains and the number keeps rising. The real figure is probably much higher, because the government does not disclose the exact list of banned sites.

By EDRi
In recent years, online censorship and the deteriorating situation regarding the freedom of speech has raised serious concerns in Turkey. The large majority of the traditional mainstream media is either directly or indirectly under the government control, and the Internet remains one of the few channels for free speech. However, the government is repeatedly taking measures to control also the Internet. On 2 October 2014, the Turkish Constitutional Court overturned an amendment to the Internet law that would have given additional censorship powers to the Turkish Telecommunications Authority (TIB).

The United Nations Human Rights Council will begin reviewing Turkey’s respect for fundamental freedoms on Tuesday, 27 January. Reporters Without Borders, which has consultative status with the UN, provided the council with a written contribution on freedom of information in Turkey last July. The situation has continued to worsen since then.

By Reporters Without Borders
Turkey’s national assembly passed two last-minute amendments today expanding the grounds under which the High Council for Telecommunications (TIB) can temporarily block websites without a court order, and allowing it to gather Internet user connection data independently of any ongoing investigation.