Turkey: 96 websites, 23 Twitter accounts blocked

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Today's Zaman

96 websites, 23 Twitter accounts blocked by Ankara court

The Ankara Gölbaşı Penal Court of Peace has ruled to block 96 websites and 23 Twitter accounts upon a complaint filed by the Telecommunications Directorate (TİB).

The decision to block the 96 websites and 23 Twitter accounts was made by the court on Saturday and was later put into effect, preventing access to several media outlets that have been critical of the government.

The ruling was made on the grounds that the websites and Twitter accounts were spreading propaganda for militant groups the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party/Front (DHKP/C), according to the court decision.

The decision cited Law No. 5651, which gives the right to block access to a website in Article 8/A, claiming, “[Websites can be blocked] in the name of protecting property and life, national security and public order and preventing a crime.”

The Platform for Independent Journalism (P24) announced on its Twitter page on Monday it has launched a legal appeal against the ban on the access to the 96 websites.

Access to several Kurdish websites and news websites critical of the government was blocked on Saturday in the aftermath of a massacre in the Suruç district of southern Şanlıurfa province, near the Syrian border, last Monday that claimed the lives of 32 activists and heightened tensions with the outlawed PKK.

The Kurdish news sites blocked on Saturday include ANF, ANHA, the Dicle News Agency (DİHA), Rojnews and Özgür Gündem. Ideologically leftist website Sendika.org was also blocked on Saturday, and Sendika TV suffered the same fate on Sunday.

Mobile devices provide a greater chance of accessing the websites through proxies compared to desktop computers. Sendika.org published a statement on its website on Saturday stating: “We won't accept oppression and we won't bow to censorship. Sendika.org will not be silenced!”

“TİB justified its action by invoking technical and legal reasons. But what has occurred has nothing to do with technical and legal requirements; it is overt fascism. Censorship against the free press is an attack on people's right to news by a fascist government that has stooped to launching a war and exploding bombs, all with the aim of staying in power. It is not simply a question of obstructing access to a few oppositional news sites; it is an attempt to obstruct access to democracy. In short, it is fascism,” the statement read.

Access to Twitter was blocked on Wednesday after a court in Suruç ordered the removal of images of the aftermath of the massacre in Suruç. Facebook and YouTube avoided a ban after quickly complying with the court order, according to a statement from the Internet Service Providers Union (ESB).

According to media outlets, the ban was issued for 106 Twitter posts, 53 news portal websites, 11 Facebook posts and one YouTube video.

http://www.todayszaman.com/national_96- ... 94770.html