The government’s chokehold over Turkey’s beleaguered media is tightening with the slapping on of new restrictions and the concurrent sale of the country’s last notionally independent media conglomerate to a pro-government group. The moves are widely seen as part of a concerted push by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to guarantee victory for himself and his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in critical municipal, parliamentary and presidential elections that are due to be held next year. With the country near evenly split between those who support Erdogan and the rest who don't, squelching the few persistently critical voices is key.

The first blow came when the AKP-dominated parliament passed a new law last week giving the state media watchdog, the Radio and Television Supreme Council, further censorship powers over content broadcast or streamed via the internet.

Under the new rules, media-streaming platforms will need to get licenses to broadcast in Turkey, much in the same way local radio and television broadcasts do. At the same time, building on earlier restrictions introduced in 2014, the body will be able to demand the removal of content or the restriction of access to these platforms in a criminal court. The court will hold no hearings and make its decisions within 24 hours, leaving providers no opportunity to defend themselves. With more than 4,000 judges purged since the failed 2016 coup, the courts are packed with those too fearful to strike an independent stance.

Commercial streaming services such as Netflix, which have become popular in Turkey, could theoretically see “naughty” content excised in line with Erdogan’s appeals for a "more pious generation."