Online strike defeats Turkey YouTube ban
p2pnet news view Freedom | P2P:- Turkish freedom of speech supporters staged what amounted to an online strike to protest the country’s YouTube ban.
And they won.
“Access to YouTube had been blocked since May in the latest of a series of bans triggered by the posting of videos deemed insulting to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of the modern Turkish state,” says The Guardian.
The decision to unblock the Google video site came after 412 web and blog sites shut themselves down, “after campaigners revealed that 853 websites in Turkey had been blocked as a result of court orders,” it says.
Web page visitors were greeted with, “The access to this site is denied by its own decision” in response to the official, “The access to this website is prevented by court order”.
Websites can be blocked under Article 5651 of the Turkish penal code for a range of offences including insulting Atatürk, child pornography and encouraging suicide, says The Guardian.
In March, “A year ago to the month, Turkey barred YouTube saying some of the posts were insulting to Ataturk,” said p2pnet, continuing »»»
At the time, ‘According to Turkish media, there has been a “virtual war” between Greek and Turkish users of the site, with both sides posting insulting videos,” stated the BBC.
Insulting Ataturk or ‘Turkishness’ is an offence which can result in a prison sentence.
Then in January a Turkish court once again blocked access because of clips which allegedly insulted Ataturk.
Now, “A court in the capital of Ankara ordered the ban at the request of a prosecutor who had argued the clip was disrespectful to Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who died seven decades ago, the Anatolia news agency said,” according to the Associated Press.
The bans on YouTube and other sites, “have hurt Turkey’s image at a time when its restrictions on free speech are under scrutiny owing to its EU membership bid,” adds The Guardian.
The Guardian – Turkish court lifts YouTube ban after online censorship protest, August 26, 2008
p2pnet – New Turkish YouTube ban, March 15, 2008
BBC – Turkish court bans YouTube access, March 7, 2007
blocked access – Turkey censors YouTube – again, January 22, 2008
Associated Press – Turkey Blocks Access to YouTube Again, March 14, 2008
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