Turkish court blocks access to Wikipedia
Opposition lawmakers call move ‘censorship’ and liken the country to North Korea
ISTANBUL— In a move that social media users called censorship, a Turkish court on Saturday blocked access to Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia, enforcing an earlier restriction by Turkey’s telecommunications watchdog.
The Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) said an Ankara court ordered on Saturday that a “protection measure” related to suspected Internet crimes be applied to Wikipedia. Such measures are used to block access to pages or entire websites to protect “national security and public order.”
In response, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales tweeted his support for those who labelled the decision censorship: “Access to information is a fundamental human right. Turkish people I will always stand with you to fight for this right.”
Turkey Blocks, an Internet censorship monitor, said users in Turkey had been unable to access all language editions of Wikipedia since 8 a.m. Saturday.
“The loss of availability is consistent with Internet filters used to censor content in the country,” the monitor said.
The site had initially been blocked by BTK under a provisional administration measure.
The exact reason for the ban remains unclear. But Turkey’s official news agency, quoting the Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications, said Saturday the site was blocked for “becoming an information source acting with groups conducting a smear campaign against Turkey in the international arena.”
Opposition lawmakers criticized the court order. Republican People’s Party parliamentarian Eren Erdem tweeted the ban puts “Turkey in line with North Korea,” while colleague Baris Yarkadas called it “censorship and a violation of the right to access information.”
Meanwhile, the Turkish government has passed two new decrees — one that expelled more than 4,000 civil servants and another that banned television dating programs.
The country’s Official Gazette pub- lished the decrees Saturday evening. The first named thousands of civil servants to be dismissed, including nearly 500 academics and more than 1,000 Turkish military personnel. The decree also reinstated 236 people to their jobs. The second decree, among other things, bans radio and television programs for “finding friends and spouses.”