According to İFÖD, the Turkish government is preparing legislation that would require social media users to verify their identities using national identification numbers.By Ailin Vilches Arguello, The AlgemeinerAs President Recep Tayyip Erdogan deepens his hold over Turkey’s institutions, a sweeping crackdown on the country’s digital space is accelerating, raising fresh concerns that the last remaining avenues for dissent are being brought under state control.According to a report by the Freedom of Expression Association (İFÖD), more than 1.5 million websites and domain names had been blocked in Turkey in 2025, underscoring what experts described as the government’s growing use of online censorship as a routine tool to suppress dissent and tighten political control.Turkey’s media landscape has been steadily reshaped in recent years through regulatory pressure, ownership consolidation, and state-aligned corporate takeovers that have shifted much of the country’s television and newspaper sector toward pro-government influence.Rights groups and media watchdogs say the result has been a sharply diminished space for independent journalism, as critical outlets face mounting financial and legal pressures while pro-government media groups increasingly dominate public discourse.With traditional media increasingly constrained, social media has emerged as one of the last broad-reaching spaces where opposition politicians, independent journalists, activists, and ordinary citizens can still bypass government-aligned outlets and reach large audiences directly.Now, Ankara appears to be taking the next step.According to İFÖD, the Turkish government is preparing legislation that would require social media users to verify their identities using national identification numbers, significantly expanding state oversight of online activity.Experts warn the proposal would strip away much of the anonymity that still exists online in a country where thousands of users have faced investigations, detentions, and criminal prosecutions over posts critical of the government.Authorities are also advancing plans for new restrictions on virtual private networks (VPNs), tools that encrypt internet traffic and are widely used to circumvent state-imposed internet filters and access otherwise blocked sites.The IFÖD report argues that Turkey’s censorship apparatus has moved well beyond removing individual posts or blocking isolated websites, instead describing a sophisticated structure capable of restricting access at multiple levels simultaneously—from social media posts and news sites to messaging services and broader internet infrastructure.Experts warn that these measures reflect a broader shift in how Turkish authorities are reshaping control over the digital space, increasingly deploying sweeping online restrictions during periods of political tension when information spreads beyond official channels.Moving far beyond the regulation of online content, critics say the expanding digital crackdown has become a key instrument for narrowing political space—used to silence opposition voices, intimidate journalists, and stifle public dissent.Democracy advocates warn that it also serves to obscure a deepening system of internal repression, as authorities tighten control over information flows, reshape the online environment, and consolidate political power while maintaining the appearance of democratic governance.The growing concerns over Turkey’s democratic backsliding extend well beyond its borders.Earlier this year, the European Parliament sharply criticized Ankara over what the lawmakers described as a pattern of transnational repression, political interference abroad, and support for extremist and ideological networks.In a 2025 report on Turkey, EU lawmakers warned of what they described as an increasing pattern of intimidation, forced repatriations, and the alleged misuse of international cooperation mechanisms against Turkish nationals abroad, with government-linked practices drawing particular concern.The report also noted that Ankara had sought to influence political dynamics within EU member states, pointing to activities targeting diaspora communities and describing the state-run Anadolu Agency as a tool for projecting state narratives beyond Turkey’s borders.With Turkish authorities extending their campaign against opposition figures overseas, experts point to a coordinated apparatus involving diplomatic pressure, intelligence activity, legal tools, and state-aligned media used to track, pressure, and target critics abroad.European lawmakers also reiterated longstanding concerns about democratic backsliding in Turkey, citing the erosion of judicial independence, increasing restrictions on media freedom, and persistent pressure on civil society organizations.They further raised concerns over the prosecution of journalists and opposition figures, persistent allegations of corruption, and the continued non-implementation of European Court of Human Rights rulings.Israeli officials have repeatedly accused Erdogan of “crushing” democracy in his own country, lambasting Ankara’s use of police force against political opposition figures.Last month, Turkish riot police forced their way into the main opposition party’s headquarters to evict its ousted leadership.Police stormed the Republican People’s Party (CHP) building in Ankara, firing tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse supporters and officials who had barricaded themselves inside and were shouting and throwing objects at the entrance.A Turkish court ousted CHP leader Özgür Özel, annulling the results of the 2023 party congress where he was elected chairman, citing irregularities in a ruling that dealt a major blow to Erdogan’s challengers and posed a test for democracy in Turkey.The post Turkey expands online censorship, silences dissent as Erdogan tightens grip on power appeared first on World Israel News.