Microsoft bans access to online news outlet T24 upon individual request from ex-footballer

Microsoft has disabled Turkish online news outlet T24 for four hours after ex-footballer Burak Yılmaz’s request to revoke access to a news story about domestic abuse allegations about him. Yılmaz apologized for the incident and said he only intended to revoke a single news story.

Tuesday October 31 2023 05:11 pm

Duvar English

Technology giant Microsoft's Turkish office on late Oct. 30 disabled the Turkish online news outlet T24's website as the service provider. The website remained inaccessible for four hours.

Microsoft disabled the website after ex-footballer Burak Yılmaz filed an individual application to revoke access to a news story about domestic abuse allegations against him.

The website was suddenly disabled on late Oct. 30 without any prior warning.

News outlet's Editor-in-Chief Doğan Akın called Microsoft Turkey General Manager Levent Özbilgin after the access blocking problem could not be resolved, according to reporting of T24.

As a response, Özbilgin said to Akın, "Why are you disturbing me at this time, who the hell are you? Do not call me again!"

‼Levent Özbilgin, General Manager of Microsoft in Turkey, which blocked T24’s broadcast: Why are you disturbing me at this time, who the hell are you? @Microsoft @MicrosoftTR
— T24 (@t24comtr) October 30, 2023

Upon contact with Microsoft representatives, the website reopened in the first hours of Oct. 31.

Burak Yılmaz told T24 about the incident, “I only requested the removal of one news article. I do not understand why this happened, I had no intention of closing the entire website, I apologize.”