A new regulation will oblige Internet broadcasting platforms such as Netflix to secure permission to operate from Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MİT) and the local police department, the Cumhuriyet daily reported on Monday.
In February a bill empowering Turkey’s Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) with control of Internet broadcasting was passed in parliament and signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Since then RTÜK and Turkey’s Telecommunications Authority (BTK) have been working on regulations for the Internet monitoring law, reportedly preparing a 24-article draft.
According to Cumhuriyet, permission must be obtained from MİT and the police to conduct Internet broadcasting including delivering radio and TV broadcasts.
For particular broadcasts or programs, the regulations do not stipulate a fine but instead allow Penal Courts of Peace to prohibit Internet access to them.
While RTÜK will have the power to directly silence certain broadcasts, the presidency’s broadcast ban authority will also cover Internet platforms.
The fate of Periscope and YouTube live broadcasts, mostly conducted by deputies during parliamentary meetings, remains ambiguous, Cumhuriyet said, adding that Netflix and its Turkish equivalents BluTV and PuhuTV will need to secure permission from RTÜK, MİT and the police.
RTÜK and BTK will reportedly have a meeting on Monday to discuss the draft and then, after completion, submit it to the presidency for publication in the Official Gazette.