What is Access Blocking According to Law No. 5651?

The dissemination of unlawful content on the internet can seriously damage the reputation of individuals and organizations. The Law No. 5651 on the Regulation of Publications on the Internet, which came into force to combat these situations, constitutes the legal basis for access blocking processes in Turkey.

In this article, we will answer questions such as what is an access block, in which cases it is applied, how the application process works and by whom it can be requested, and we will also refer to examples of official decisions and related subheadings.

Scope and Purpose of Law No. 5651

The purpose of Law No. 5651 is to protect the fundamental rights and freedoms of individuals, public order and family structure by removing and/or blocking access to certain content on the internet.

The Law regulates under two main headings:

• Article 8 – Administrative Access Restriction (by ICTA)
• Article 9 – Access Restriction by Judicial Decision (by the Criminal Judgeship of Peace)

Article 8: Blocking Access Due to Catalog Crimes

Under this article, the blocking of access can be imposed directly by the ICTA (Information and Communication Technologies Authority ). The following cases are defined as catalog crimes:

• Obscenity and child abuse
• Facilitating prostitution
• Facilitating gambling
• Terror propaganda
• Encouraging the use of drugs or stimulants
• Insulting Atatürk

🔗 For more information: Access Denial Process for Inappropriate or Obscene Content

Article 9: Access Blocking Due to Violation of Personal Rights

Under this article;

• Insult
• Slander
• Violation of the right to privacy
• Publications damaging commercial reputation
• For reasons such as unfounded news content,

real or legal persons may apply to the Criminal Judge of Peace and request a content removal or access blocking decision.

🔗 Related content: Content Removal for Defamation and Violation of Personal Rights

How Does the Process Work?

1. Infringement Detection: The URL, screenshot and publication date of the content are determined.
2. Application Preparation: A petition is prepared through a lawyer.
3. Court Decision Evaluation is made by the Criminal Court of Peace within 1-3 days.
4. BTK Notification: The court decision is notified to the ICTA and the relevant content is blocked.
5. Right of Appeal: The decision can be appealed to the next higher Criminal Judge of Peace within 7 days.

🔗 For details Access Blocking and Content Removal Guide

Foreign Content and Access Blocking

Even if the content is hosted outside Turkey, an access blocking order can be issued from Turkey according to Law No. 5651. This is especially true for content published on platforms such as Google, YouTube, Instagram and Reddit.

🔗 Detailed information: Foreign Content Blocked from Turkey

Official Decision Sample

Decision: Constitutional Court – 2016/1430

Subject: Finding the access blocking decision issued on the grounds of interference with personal rights contrary to the principle of proportionality.

Source: 🔗 https://kararlarbilgibankasi.anayasa.gov.tr/BB/2016/1430

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

🔹 Can access blocking be requested for every piece of content?

No. The content must be unlawful and victimizing.

🔹 Does the ICTA or the court decide?

The ICTA is authorized for catalog crimes and the Criminal Court of Peace is authorized for violations of personal rights.

🔹 How long does it take to get results?

With the right application, a decision can be made within 24-72 hours.

🔹 How to remove content from platforms like Google?

🔗 How to Request Content Removal from Google?

🔹 Can old news content be removed?

🔗 Removal of Old Content on News Websites

How We Help You as MFY Legal?

✅ Our Specialization

Under Law No. 5651, we fight against unlawful content published on social media content, news sites, Google searches, forums and all digital media in access blocking and content removal cases.

✅ What Do We Offer?

• Fast and efficient petition preparation
• Application to the court and follow-up of the process
• Notification to ICTA and platforms
• Blocking access to foreign content
• Right to be forgotten and online reputation management

Contact us now to remove or block access to unlawful content about you on the internet.

📞 Contact us for a consultation .