Reuters appeals Turkish court order to block news article

The Reuters news agency reported on its website that it had appealed a Turkish court’s decision to block access to and delete a story it published about a corruption complaint involving President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s son Bilal Erdoğan. The court ruling, a copy of which was seen by Reuters, gave seven days to appeal, the news agency said, adding that it was appealing the decision on the grounds that it violated Turkish legal protections for freedom of expression and press freedom.

Reuters reported on 26 June that US and Swedish anti-corruption officials were investigating a complaint that the Swedish affiliate of a US company had pledged to pay tens of millions of dollars in bribes if Erdogan’s son helped it secure a dominant market position in the country. Turkish officials reacted strongly after the article was published. Presidential Communications Director Fahrettin Altun issued the following statement on his Twitter account: “The so-called news report that Reuters news agency sent to its subscribers today under the title “special report”, which consists of a scenario full of unfounded accusations against Mr. Bilal Erdoğan, the son of our president, is both a black mark in the history of journalism and a pathetic example of a 171-year-old media organization openly humiliating itself.” 

Subsequently, a Turkish court blocked access to and deleted the report on the news agency’s website. On 27 June, a Turkish court banned access to 93 websites and Twitter accounts on the basis of “violation of personal rights” for publishing the Reuters news report. Reuters issued the following statement in response to the criticism and the court ruling: “Our story was prepared in keeping with Reuters’ Trust Principles and our commitment to publication of fair and accurate reporting in the global public interest. We stand by it.”