Dumlupınar University Professor Prof. Dr. Altay Tayfun Özcan Ends YouTube Videos Due to Social Media Revenue Ban

Background The 657 State Civil Servants Law, specifically Article 28, and the Income Tax Law classify social media content creation as commercial activity, making it subject to taxation and regulation.
Decision and Impact On 2 September 2026, the Higher Education Council (YÖK) issued a decision that effectively banned revenue generation from social media for academics.
The ruling required university faculty to remove their YouTube videos and other digital content from public platforms.
As a result, many professors were forced to delete lecture recordings and scientific analyses to avoid disciplinary investigations and administrative sanctions.
Professor Özcan's Statements Professor Altay Tayfun Özcan, a history faculty member at Dumlupınar University, explained that he had intended to disseminate his research through books and articles after the ban.
He announced that he would permanently discontinue his YouTube channel.
"I will continue my academic work in written form," Özcan said.
Reactions The decision has sparked widespread debate within the academic community.
Some scholars argue that the ban restricts scientific communication and limits the reach of research findings.