Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), in power now for 18 years, has long sought to more closely regulate and restrict social media platforms, the only sphere for news and communication still out of the government’s control.

Alarm bells are now ringing loudly as the government has announced plans to bring a sweeping bill into Parliament later this month that would dramatically expand government control over free expression on social media.

Read blog on IPI’s FreeTurkeyJournalists website