The new legal regulation in Turkey, which stipulates the use of identity verification to access social media platforms, is the latest link in Turkey's history of digital oversight and legislation. There are many legal and practical questions about how this regulation will be implemented.
The regulation is part of a global trend, and states largely justify these laws in the context of "controlling and ensuring the safety of children's access to the internet." However, there is another less visible aspect to the issue: its impact on freedom of expression, data security, and, most importantly, the right to freedom of association, which is the fundamental guarantee of civil society. How will this regulation affect civil society’s social media accounts and the collective voice of organizations and solidarity platforms without legal entity on digital platforms?
Within the scope of the Monitoring Freedom of Association II Project conducted by TÜSEV and STGM with the support of the European Union, we will discuss this structural transformation with Prof. Dr. Yaman Akdeniz from the Freedom of Expression Association at our online panel to be held on Thursday, June 25, from 15:00 to 16:00. We will discuss concrete demands of civil society in order to protect the digital space as a "forum for association."
To participate in the panel, you can fill out the Zoom registration form here by 14:00 on Thursday, June 25, 2026.