Turkey had banned access to a total of 408,494 websites as of the end of last year, including 61,049 in 2019 alone, according to the “Bans on the Web 2019″ report published by the Freedom of Expression Association (İFÖD).
Turkey’s law No.5651, passed in 2007 to regulate online communications and internet broadcasting, has been used to ban access to 130,000 web addresses, 7,000 Twitter accounts, 40,000 individual tweets, 10,000 YouTube videos, and 6,200 Facebook posts as of the end of 2019, the report found.
At least 5,599 news articles were banned in 2019, and news networks removed 3,528 of them to avoid a wider ban on their services, according to İFÖD.
Hürriyet newspaper removed 336 articles from its website, while Milliyet removed 187 and news site T24 removed 171.
Also read: Watch Netflix With NordVPN
Which services are banned in Turkey?
As mentioned before, all the big social media platforms have been blocked, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Periscope, and Google services. You could also struggle to access the likes of Google Docs, Translate, Books, Analytics, or Tools.
Even the likes of Blogspot and WordPress have been blocked. Along with big-name darker web sites like YouPorn, The Pirate Bay, and Megaupload. Sites, including Deezer and IMDB, have even been blocked, as well as video sharing sites Metacafe and Vimeo.
Sites that have been subject to blocking or restrictions in Turkey include:
- BlogSpot
- Deezer
- Dropbox
- Facebook (and Messenger)
- Google Apps (e.g., Docs, Drive, Translate, etc.)
- IMDB
- Metacafe
- OneDrive
- Periscope
- Wikipedia
- WikiLeaks
- WordPress
- YouTube
- Vimeo
How to Bypass This Website Ban?
The straight-out answer to this is, “Use a reliable and fast VPN.” If you don’t know what a VPN is: it is a tool that helps you hide your original IP address and use different IPs of different server locations. In the Turkey ban case, you can use a VPN and connect it to some server outside Turkey; you will get access to all the banned sites because their servers will think you are accessing from the country you are using the IP of.
How to Use a VPN in Turkey
We’ve done our best to show the most suitable VPNs in Turkey, but the end decision is yours. Reading the mini-reviews gives a high-level overview of each service, but if you want more details, we encourage you to read the detailed user review referenced at the end of each one.
Here’s how to browse the web safely and anonymously in Turkey:
- Decide on a provider and a plan that works for you. We particularly recommend NordVPN.
- Sign up and register with your credit card information.
- Proceed to download the relevant apps from your device.
- Restart all devices when the installation is complete.
- Open the relevant VPN apps, and sign in with your login information. Select a server in a location of your choice.
- A successful connection will usually be indicated in your taskbar or on the top of your smartphone screen. Now your internet connection is encrypted and private.
Best VPN for Turkey
1. NordVPN
- Double encryption for added security
- Automatic kill switch
- A variety of platform support
- Six simultaneous connections
- Zero log keeping policy of internet activities
- 3-Day free trial
2. ExpressVPN
- Unlimited Bandwidth with Ultra Speed
- Provides all VPN protocols OpenVPN (TCP, UDP), L2TP-IPsec, SSTP, and PPTP
- Dedicated VPN Apps for Android & iOS
- High-End Security with OpenVPN 256-bits
- Zero log keeping policy of internet activities
- 3 simultaneous connections
3. Surfshark
- AES 256-Bit Network Encryption
- Chrome Extension Available
- Kill-Switch functionality
- A variety of platform support
- Zero log keeping policy of internet activities
- Unlimited simultaneous connections
4. CyberGhost
- Uses AES 256 Encryption
- Supports OpenVPN, L2TP/IPsec, and PPTP
- DNS & IP Leak Protection
- Uses 2048 Key & MD5 Authentication
- Zero log keeping policy of internet activities
- Up to 7 Simultaneous Connections
5. Private Internet Access
- Offers all Protocols PPTP, OpenVPN and L2TP/IPSec including SOCKS5 Proxy
- IPv6 Leak Protection & DNS Leak Protection
- Kill-Switch functionality
- Encrypted Wi-Fi Protection
- Zero log keeping policy of internet activities
- 10 simultaneous connections
Accessing Netflix libraries
While Netflix is technically available across the world, the fact of the matter is that libraries vary by country. Turkey has a fraction of the same online content present on the Netflix app if you log in with a US IP address.
Some folks think that because the account was first registered in the US, they’ll forever be shown that library. However, that’s not true. If you log in to Netflix in Turkey without masking your IP address, then you’ll be automatically redirected to the local library.
So if you would like to regain access to US Netflix, then you’ll have to connect to a US VPN server first. Most of the VPNs recommended here unblock Netflix, but it’s a good idea to ask customer support if you run into any problems.
Conclusion – websites and online services are blocked in Turkey
Here you have it. Living in Turkey and bypassing the strict censorship is as easy as slipping into a warm cherry-blossom scented bubble bath with a glass of elderflower presse. All you have to do is to choose the right and fast VPN and let it do the working for you. Let us know your feedback in the comments below.
