Turkey's new cyber law grants sweeping powers to the presidency over internet services

A new Turkish cybersecurity law, which came into force at the end of July, centralizes digital oversight in the Cybersecurity Directorate attached to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's office. This allows the directorate to prescribe urgent measures on its own initiative or at the request of security agencies, with telecom operators and online platforms required to comply within two hours. Critics warn this risks creating "absolute digital obedience" and further restricting critical reporting and dissent in a country where most national media is already government-controlled.