Internet Censorship Protests In Turkey

Protesters gathered in over 30 Turkish cities over proposed censorship of websites. Cenk Uygur and Ana Kasparian discuss.

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ISTANBUL — Thousands of people in more than 30 cities around Turkey took to the streets on Sunday to protest a new system of filtering the Internet that opponents consider censorship.

The Information and Communications Technologies Authority, known by its Turkish initials as B.T.K., is going to require Internet service providers to offer consumers four choices for filtering the Internet that would limit access to many sites, beginning in August.

Protesters in Taksim Square in Istanbul called the action, which regulators say is intended to protect minors, an assault on personal freedom and liberty.

The B.T.K., however, has said that Internet users will still be able to access all content if they choose the "standard" option for filtering. The other filtering options are labeled as "children," "family" and "domestic."

Tayfun Acarer, the chairman of the B.T.K., told reporters this month that the change came about because of complaints and demands for safer Internet use in Turkey.

Thousands of protesters in Taksim Square, who were organized through a Facebook page, chanted, "Yes, we ban!" In Ankara, the capital, people cheered, "The Internet is ours and will remain ours!"

For many people in Turkey, having to select a filtering option is just another form of censorship. Already thousands of Web sites are blocked by the state, mostly without any publicized reason.

Furthermore, the B.T.K. recently issued a ban on the use of dozens of casual words on the Internet, like "girl," "partner" and "animal." It has not explained how this word ban will be policed.

The most controversial act of Internet censorship in Turkey, so far, was against YouTube, which was blocked in 2007 after the posting of a video that was deemed insulting to Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey. Insulting Ataturk is a criminal offense in Turkey.

That ban was lifted after more than two years when the content was removed from the Web site.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/16/world/europe/16turkey.html?partner=rss&...

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• Censorship
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• Protesters
• Atatürk
• youTube
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• AnaKasparian

[GypsyMofakka]

Turkey is one of the more free and open countries ruled by religious dipshits. Their dipshits aren't as shitty as others. The women wear nice, sexy clothes and aren't forced to dress like a Star Wars sand midget. Businesses are open all night serving good food. Why these guys gotta fuck it all up?

[as2711]

@oprichniki12 I know many Turks, they don't like Arabs, they have historically hated Arabs what with being stabbed in the back when the empire was crumbling, so Erdogans new found love for them is disingenuous. His administration is determined to cling to power and currently they are locking up journalists, censoring free speech and not addressing the rights of minorities. If only the educated secular Turks could take back control and tell him to fuck off. I'm really hoping they can.

[qq312qq]

this is stupid conversation. because that censorship of websites thing not forced. free. if you wanted take dont wanted not take that simple.

[GypsyMofakka]

@1clackie If trusting the god of the Old Testament is what Christianity is about, then I have a hard time respecting Christians. I do not and cannot trust a god that uses the fire and brimstone of volcanoes to crush cities; A god who uses flood to wipeout all but 8 humans; A god who creates plague; A god tells Israelites to cross the River Jordan and kill every Canaanite - man, woman and child. I do not respect a god who is OK with genocide and infanticide or his followers.

[1clackie]

@GypsyMofakka real Christianity is just trusting God and loving your neighbor, I apologize for the more ignorant and rude of my fellow Christians, but please understand that's not what we are about, all beliefs should be respected

[GypsyMofakka]

@1clackie No. I do not have to respect religious fools or their 'world view' anymore than I have to respect Charles Manson and his world view.

[1clackie]

@GypsyMofakka if you want others to respect your world view you need to respect others' view

[Aydosh1991]

The Turkish government has created a bizarre situation regarding internet access. Within the last couple of months I was in Ankara, at one internet cafe I able to log onto my gmail account at another it was impossible. It makes no sense.

[eagleofmardin]

@OptimusPrimeB166er Sarkozy and Merkel have already told many times that it doesn’t matter what Turkish government do but Turkey’s full integration is not gonna happen. Why? When we take a look at stats, economies, recent politics of newest EU members the only reason appears to be “Islam”. Rejecting a religion and members of a religion is nothing but just racism. If all of EU leaders thought like that I’d rather choose to struggle with these censorships in Turkey instead of being an EU citizen.

[SosolidClaws]

Turkey is so diverse and amazing. <3

[TheTurkishboy90]

@kFIRmAGNOON

Atatürk didn't fight with germans in WW1!! it was the ottoman sultan's decision!

-Killed more than 140,000 soldiers in gallipoli.. SO WHAT!!!!???? uk came to gallipoli to invade istanbul and end ottoman empire. what would you expect to us?? welcome them?? ps. uk soldiers also killed innocent 250,000 soldiers.

-continued armenian genocide... what is armenian genocide??

People should be more OBJECTIVE!

[sbaker12]

@erdal0 lolol no civilized western country ever wants to have a muslim countries "standard of morality"-if you criticize a leader your thrown in jail- nice standard you animals. PS, did you just blame America for the Armenian genocide? you didnt kill armenians bcuz of us, you killed them bcuz they wanted an independent christian run country-lolol spoken like a true turj-ps how do you killing armenians and greeks benifit america? please answer-would love to c u try and justify that wild statment