Turkey's internet blackout sparks harsh reactions
Verenia Keet
Press TV, Istanbul
The recent internet blackout triggered by last week’s hostage-crisis in Istanbul has outraged many in the country saying this was part of the government’s crackdown on the opposition ahead of the upcoming elections.
Last week’s deadly hostage-taking of a prosecutor in Istanbul led the government officials to block access to Twitter and Youtube on Monday for failing to remove content related to the crisis. The blackout came after an Istanbul court said the U.S. companies, as well as Facebook Inc. and dozens of other local and foreign websites failed to take down images, videos and voice recordings linked to the hostage crisis. But hours later, Turkish authorities restored access to both YouTube and Twitter after saying that the platforms had fulfilled the court’s demands.
Critics say the court’s orders mark the latest efforts in Turkey to censor content on the Internet ahead of the critical June parliamentary elections.
Worldwide, Turkey is high on the list for blocking websites. Currently, a total of 67,000 websites of varying content are blocked in Turkey. Turkey’s parliament approved a bill in March that allows ministers to remove or block online publication of sites, to ‘defend the right to live, secure property, ensure national security an public order, prevent crime or protect public health’.
The main question is whether or not the wider broadcast or publication of images such as that of prosecutor Selim Kiraz held at gunpoint and posted on social media by a designated terrorist organization is justified. Despite Turkey’s dismal record in blocking websites, Turkish internet users are grappling with the conflict between the freedom to access information, and individual rights protection.
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