12/01/2026 | Writer: Kaos GL
Kaos GL Association stated that the blacklisting of its news website targets freedom of expression and freedom of the press, and emphasized that it constitutes a discriminatory intervention.
The legal proceedings launched against the blacklisting of KaosGL.org under “safe family” internet profiles by the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) in October 2024 have been taken to the Constitutional Court. While the administrative court rejected both the lawsuit filed against the access restriction and the request for a stay of execution, subsequent appeals were also dismissed. Throughout this process, KaosGL.org has remained inaccessible under safe family profiles.
“There is no clear legal basis for the access restriction”
In its individual application to the Constitutional Court, the association argued that the restriction imposed on KaosGL.org violates freedom of expression and freedom of the press. The application recalled that freedom of expression is protected under both the Turkish Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights, and that freedom of the press is separately guaranteed under the Constitution. As Turkey’s only LGBTI+ news portal, KaosGL.org should therefore also benefit from the additional protections afforded to the press, the association stressed.
The application further stated that the intervention lacks a clear legal basis and that BTK has no authority to block websites through a “blacklist” mechanism. The association noted that BTK failed to provide any written administrative decision regarding the site and did not share a concrete ruling despite repeated requests, creating legal uncertainty that itself constitutes a violation.
“The restriction interferes with freedom of association”
The association also argued that the blacklisting of KaosGL.org violates not only freedom of expression and the press, but also freedom of association. The application emphasized that KaosGL.org is the primary platform through which the association communicates with its members, announces its activities, and maintains public visibility. The access restriction effectively prevents the association from reaching its members, volunteers, and the broader public, narrowing its scope of organizational activity and amounting to an interference with the right to freedom of association.
BTK did not officially notify Kaos GL
The association further claimed a violation of the right to an effective remedy. It stated that no written administrative act regarding the blacklisting of KaosGL.org was formally notified to them and that they were not officially informed of the access restriction. The application underlined that BTK also failed to communicate any avenues for objection or appeal, thereby stripping the process of basic legal safeguards.
Prohibition of discrimination also violated
The association argued that the blacklisting of KaosGL.org also violates the prohibition of discrimination. The application recalled that KaosGL.org belongs to a civil society organization working on LGBTI+ rights and is Turkey’s only LGBTI+ news portal, stressing that the intervention constitutes a discriminatory practice in this context.
The application also noted that access bans on websites have been reflected in Constitutional Court case law, but that such measures are taken by criminal judgeships of peace and within a legal framework. By contrast, there is no other known example in which access to a civil society organization or an affiliated news website has been restricted through a “blacklist” without a court order or a decision by the BTK president. This situation, the association argued, places KaosGL.org at a disadvantage compared to similar websites and amounts to discriminatory treatment.
Tags: human rights, media, arts and culture, life, trans, lgbti
