Turkey blocks exiled mafia leader’s social media posts

A Turkish court has ordered an access ban on mob boss Sedat Peker’s social media accounts citing national security and public order concerns, internet freedom watchdog EngelliWeb reported on Thursday.

“The block has not been instated yet, despite the platforms in question having representation in Turkey,” the watchdog said.

In nine videos posted online from the United Arab Emirates since early May, Peker has implicated top Turkish officials and their family members in crimes ranging from money laundering and racketeering to rape and murder.

“They want to shut down my accounts via court order for the second time. But the executives of these platforms are not implementing it at this moment. So, they resist, like us,” he said in a new social media post on Friday. “Let’s see how long they will hold up.”

“I have a covenant with you. Let’s say they manage to shut down my accounts. I promise you I’ll share what I know via smoke signals, if necessary,” Peker added.

The social media platforms cited in the ban, including YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter “use the secure https protocol, and thus cannot be blocked by Internet service providers (ISPs) in Turkey”, according to legal scholar and internet freedom activist Yaman Akdeniz.

“The order can only be implemented by social network providers,” he said.

Most large social media companies recently opened offices in Turkey to comply with new laws giving the government sweeping regulatory powers.

Online platforms with more than one million daily users are compelled to appoint a local legal representative responsible for processing content removal requests and addressing authorities’ concerns.

A failure to comply risks fines of up to 10 million liras ($1.15 million) and bans on advertising.

“In theory, these platforms have ‘bent the knee’. But in practice, Turkey cannot make these platforms listen,” Akdeniz said. “These platforms won’t bend the knee so easily. They will continue to go by their own policies.”

Peker's last video was released on June 6, and afterwards the mobster said he would temporarily pause releases amid concerns for his safety.