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Challenges for the press

Dorian Jones, IstanbulFebruary 26, 2014

With Turkey's government pushing through sweeping controls on the Internet, independent news websites are struggling to survive. Journalist and news site founder Serdar Akinan wants to continue his work despite the pressure.

https://p.dw.com/p/1BFhl

Even before the Gezi park protests in June 2013, Internet censorship and crackdowns on the press have been an issue in Turkey, a country which - with 21 national newspapers - loves it news.

With the passage of new Internet censorship laws, the situation is getting worse for those who want to work as journalists in the country, especially those reporting on sensitive issues such as corruption allegations amongst Turkey's elite. Serdar Akinan's independent news website Vagus, for instance, has already been closed down by authorities without reason.

The new law, signed in by Turkish President Abdulla Gul on February 18, allows authorities to block websites without a court order and forces Internet service providers to store data for up to two years. The new law has caused mass protests in Istanbul and been criticized by the EU.