The Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) has banned access to the website of The Independent’s Turkish service, its editor-in-chief said.
“There are problems in accessing our website. Some of our readers come across this warning,” Nevzat Çiçek said on April 19, as he shared the screenshot of the BTK warning on the administrative measure adopted for the website.
The issue came after Saudi Arabia on April 13 banned the websites of Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency and state-broadcaster TRT’s Arabic service.
According to Çiçek, the website is owned 30 percent by a Saudi businessman and the rest is owned by a Russian businessman.
“The BTK banned access to some websites of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Independent Turkish is at the center of such a decision over ownership,” he said, adding that the website is reporting news objectively.
“There are no problems stemming from our editorial policy and our reports are found to be objective. We haven’t received any official court ruling or notification. It’s an interstate subject and is not related to us,” Çiçek added.