Turkish Court Blocks Jailed Journalist Fatih Altaylı's YouTube Channel

A Turkish court ordered the blocking of journalist Fatih Altaylı's YouTube channel following his arrest on charges of threatening President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The İstanbul 6th Criminal Court of Peace cited reasons of national security, public order, and crime prevention for the ban, which also includes removing all content from the channel. Despite the order, YouTube has not yet enforced the block, and Altaylı continues to broadcast from prison, maintaining a large and engaged audience. Altaylı's channel, which has about 1.65 million subscribers, remains one of the most-watched in Turkey, with over 28 million monthly views reported in July 2025. Rights groups have condemned the arrest and blocking as part of Turkey’s ongoing crackdown on press freedom, with the country ranking 159th out of 180 in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index. The court decision will take effect after a two-week appeal period, during which access to the channel remains possible, including potentially via VPN.