Is Porn Banned in Turkey? The Complex Relationship Between the Turkish Government and Adult Content

Turkey has a complicated relationship with pornography. While producing and distributing pornographic material is legal in the country, the government has made numerous attempts to restrict access to adult content online. This has led many to wonder – is porn actually banned in Turkey?

The short answer is no pornography is not outright illegal in Turkey. However the government engages in widespread censorship and blocking of adult websites, making accessing porn difficult but not impossible for Turkish citizens.

A Brief History of Pornography Laws in Turkey

• Pornographic content has been produced in Turkey since the 1970s. In fact, along with Israel, Turkey remains one of the only two Middle Eastern or Middle Eastern-adjacent countries where pornography is legal to produce and distribute.

• However cultural and religious influences have led to stringent restrictions on porn. Distributing “obscene” materials can be illegal under Turkish law.

• In 2014, the government passed an “omnibus bill” giving it more power to block online content deemed inappropriate. This law allowed Turkey to block thousands of websites including many adult sites.

• Between 2014-2018, over 245,000 websites were blocked in Turkey, likely including many porn sites. The country is now classified as “not free” in terms of internet freedoms.

• In 2019, Turkey passed additional legislation requiring social media sites with over 1 million daily users to remove content deemed inappropriate by the government. This gives Turkey increased power to demand adult content removals.

So while porn is not completely banned by law, the Turkish government has made it very difficult to access adult content online through censorship and blocking.

Why Does Turkey Heavily Restrict Access to Porn Sites?

There are a few reasons why Turkey chooses to censor and block pornography online

• Cultural/Religious Influences: Turkey is a predominantly Muslim country. Conservative cultural and religious beliefs look down on pornography as immoral. The government cites these values when justifying porn blocks.

• Political Control: The ruling AKP party has used porn blocking as a way to control the population and limit access to information. Porn bans help Turkey suppress freedoms.

• Reducing Cybercrime: The government argues porn blocks fight cybercrime and help determine liability for inappropriate online content. However, critics debate this justification.

By making adult content difficult to access, Turkey can use porn blocking as a form of social control over its population. However, many see this as an affront to personal freedoms.

Which Adult Websites and Services Are Blocked in Turkey?

Turkey has blocked access to many of the world’s top adult websites over the years, including:

• Pornhub
• Xvideos
• XNXX
• Youporn
• Brazzers
• Redtube
• PornMD
• Xhamster

In addition, Turkey has blocked other sites with adult content like Tumblr, Imgur, and Reddit. Porn subreddits and Telegram channels containing porn are also frequently blocked.

Live cam sites and porn torrent trackers are blocked as well. Essentially, any site where users can view adult content or download porn is likely blocked in Turkey.

Can Turks Still Access Porn With Government Blocks in Place?

Despite Turkish censorship efforts, those living in Turkey or visiting still have ways to access pornography:

• VPNs: Using a VPN allows Turks to route their traffic through another country, bypassing porn blocks. VPNs like ExpressVPN reliably work in Turkey.

• Tor: The Tor browser is harder for Turkey to block fully and can provide access to .onion sites hosting adult content.

• Foreign Mobile Networks: When visiting Turkey, using a foreign phone carrier while roaming can avoid porn blocks.

• Unpopular Sites: Smaller, less popular porn sites sometimes escape government notice and remain unblocked.

So while most major porn sites are blocked, Turks can still access adult content safely and privately with some clever workarounds.

Are VPNs Legal to Use in Turkey for Accessing Porn?

Fortunately, VPNs remain fully legal to use in Turkey. And even accessing banned porn sites through a VPN is not illegal for citizens.

However, Turkey has attempted VPN blocks in the past. Many popular VPNs were banned back in 2016, making it difficult to connect to them within the country.

Despite this, top VPNs like ExpressVPN have found ways around these blocks using obfuscation technology. So VPNs remain a reliable solution for Turkish citizens to access porn without legal risks.

Will Porn Remain Largely Blocked in Turkey Long-Term?

It seems likely Turkey will continue censoring and blocking pornographic websites into the foreseeable future.

A few reasons why extensive porn blocking will persist:

• Conservative cultural and religious beliefs remaining prominent in Turkey.

• The ruling government continuing to use porn blocks for control.

• Lack of successful challenges against pornography restrictions in Turkish courts.

However, VPN usage also looks likely to keep rising in Turkey. More Turks are turning to VPNs not just for porn but for accessing blocked social media and evading other internet censorship.

So the cat-and-mouse game between Turkish porn blocks and citizens using VPNs to bypass them seems poised to continue over the coming years.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, while officially legal, pornography faces substantial restrictions in Turkey. The government aggressively blocks and censors adult content online.

But Turkish citizens remain resourceful in using VPNs and other workarounds to safely access porn. And they remain fully within their legal rights to do so.

So is porn banned in Turkey? No, but accessing it freely requires some persistence and the right tools to remain private and secure. Fortunately, there are still reliable ways for Turks to enjoy porn despite their government’s best censorship efforts.