Turkey Bans Access to Dissenting News Website Backed by Sweden

(Bloomberg) -- A Turkish court banned dozens of websites and social media accounts that reflect dissenting political views for posing risks to national security, including a news outlet that’s supported by the Swedish government.

Turkish news portal Bianet, one of the affected sites, published a copy of the Ankara court decision on Tuesday listing those facing restrictions. A pro-Kurdish lawmaker’s personal Twitter account was also announced off-limits to Turkey-based internet users. The case was initiated by Turkey’s paramilitary police force.

Bianet is known for news coverage that defies the official narrative carried in Turkey’s mainstream or pro-government media. According to its website, Bianet is operated by a foundation that receives support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, or Sida.

Under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s increasingly authoritarian rule, Turkish courts have often ruled to ban websites deemed critical of those in power. YouTube has been circumscribed in the past while Wikipedia still can’t be accessed by web users in Turkey.

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