A study by the Freedom of Expression Association (IFOD) has revealed that more than 280 000 websites and domains have been blocked in Turkey between 2015 and October 2019.
The IFOD, an NGO working in the field of freedom of expression announced in its report that the number of blocked sites was 80,553 as of the end of 2015.
Backed by the United Nations (UN), the report said the authority to block websites has been granted to some other administrative public institutions in addition to the courts after 2015.
Based on Law No. 5651 on Regulation of Publications on the Internet and Suppression of Crimes Committed by means of Such Publication, widely known as the Internet Law, the Turkish authorities have blocked 7,334 news sites since February 2014, according to the IFOD report.
Article 8/A of the law allows for the website blockings on grounds of protecting the right to life and security of people and property, national security and public order, prevention of crimes or protection of general health, on the request of relevant ministries or the Turkish presidency.
The law, which was enacted in 2007 to protect children and prevent access to illegal and harmful Internet content, has repeatedly been amended over the years to broaden the scope for censorship.
Further, in 2018, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) government expanded the powers of the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTUK), Turkish watchdog to include overseeing online content providers.
“The Articles 8/A and 9 of the Internet Act [Law No. 5651] have been used to silence all kinds of expressions and criticism targeting political figures and leaders [in Turkey],” the report read.
Critics claim that the AKP move came after the online world – websites, blogs, social media, and other platforms emerged as the center of opposition in Turkey, notably in the aftermath of a failed coup in 2016.
“Censorship of websites and online social media has reached unprecedented levels and the authorities are now trying to bring online video services under control,” declared Reporters Without Borders (RSF), a Paris-based international media rights group.
Turkey ranked among the countries with the highest number of content removal requests sent to Twitter, the IFOD said, referring to the Twitter Transparency Report.
Between 2012 and 2018, the Turkish courts forwarded 5,099 demands to Twitter to block accounts, while other authorities sent 25,084 requests. Turkey leads the world in the category, with Russia and Brazil the following suit with 385 and 290, respectively.
The IFOD also offered some recommendations at the end of its report, saying all the blocked websites, including Wikipedia, should be re-opened.
The ban on Wikipedia has been in place since April 2017, with all language versions of the site being inaccessible to Turkish IP addresses.
The ban was over two entries, one linking AKP to radical Islamist groups in Syria and the other showing the 2016 coup as a state-sponsored plot. Turkey demands the entries be removed, while Wikipedia declines to take down the content.
Turkey’s Internet provisions should be amended in line with the European standards, including the related rulings by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), the report said.
The blockings should be imposed on specific contents and URLs, instead of the entire websites, according to the IFOD.
“But now, the judge concerned gave an order to block access to not to a report but to the entire website. Moreover, the judge did not need to base this order of censorship to any justification,” Eyuboglu said.
The IFOD demanded the Turkish authorities grant blocking powers only to the courts and judges.
Turkey bans 136 websites and social media accounts criticizing Erdogan
The post Nearly 300,00 websites blocked in Turkey in five years – report appeared first on IPA NEWS.
from IPA NEWS https://ipa.news/2019/12/10/nearly-30000-websites-blocked-in-turkey-in-five-years-report/
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