It’s been a full year since the Discord access ban, which directly impacted millions of internet users in Turkey and changed their digital communication habits. The ban on the platform, which has become an indispensable communication tool for gamers, students, civil society organizations, and various communities, was implemented abruptly on October 9, 2024, and uncertainty has persisted ever since.

Why was Discord blocked in Turkey?

In the early days of the ban, then-Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, who informed the public, explained that the primary reason behind the decision was Discord’s refusal to cooperate with Turkish authorities. Minister Uraloğlu stated that the access ban was imposed because the platform failed to share critical user information, such as the requested IP address. Uraloğlu emphasized that they lack the ability to constantly monitor every platform operating in Turkey and therefore act upon complaints. He criticized the platform’s closed-door approach, saying, “They weren’t addressing us before they decided to block access.”

Minister Uraloğlu stated that the Discord administration’s stance had changed following the ban and that a dialogue process had begun: “Your game portal has good things, but there are also things we don’t want. Release these in Turkey; we’re not going to impose discipline on the world. They used to be unresponsive. Now, they’ve become our contacts, asking, ‘What do you want us to remove?’” While this statement raised hopes for a permanent ban and the possibility of a compromise between the parties, no concrete steps have been taken in the past year.

The legal basis for the ban was outlined by then-Minister of Justice Yılmaz Tunç in a statement on his social media account. Minister Tunç announced that the decision was issued by the Ankara 1st Criminal Court of Peace upon the request of the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.

The statement stated that, pursuant to Article 8/1 of Law No. 5651 on the Regulation of Publications on the Internet and Combating Crimes Committed Through These Publications, there was sufficient suspicion that crimes of “child sexual abuse and obscenity” were being committed on the platform. Minister Tunç emphasized the state’s sensitivity on this issue by stating, “We are determined to protect our youth and children, the guarantee of our future, from harmful and criminal publications on social media and the internet. We will never tolerate attempts to undermine the foundations of our social structure.”

The year-long ban has forced millions of Discord users in Turkey to seek alternative solutions. Many users, especially young people and gaming communities, continue to access the platform through services like VPNs. However, this slows down internet speeds and imposes additional costs. Users are demanding that the platform be reopened after it is cleared of illegal content and complied with the necessary legal regulations. On the first anniversary of the ban, all eyes are on the outcome of negotiations reportedly ongoing between authorities and Discord management.