AfterDawn: News

Turkey to ban YouTube again?

Just days after it was widely reported that Turkey had ended a two year ban on YouTube in the country, it now seems likely that Turkish Internet users will be blocked from accessing the site again.

Access to YouTube had been blocked since May 2008 until just a few days ago due to videos uploaded by users deemed to be offensive to Turkey's founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. On Saturday, a court in Ankara lifted the ban when the video disappeared from the site.



YouTube was quick to point out that it had not removed the video at Turkey's request. Instead, a German firm had utilized Google tools that are provided to tackle copyright infringement on the website to get it automatically removed. The video has now appeared once again on the popular video sharing website because the company found the copyright claim to be bogus.

A Turkish court has now ruled that the ban should be re-instated, but not because of the original "insulting" videos. This time, the Turkish authorities are mad about a video which allegedly shows the former chairman of the opposition, Deniz Baykal, in a bedroom with a female aide.

Telecommunications Board spokeswoman Guleser Aykara said that the board was notified of the court ruling on Tuesday and that it would make a decision by Thursday on whether or not to implement the ban. "We will first check if the undesirable content still remains on the website," Aykara told Reuters.

"YouTube could restrict access to prevent Turkish users from watching the videos, but may keep it accessible to other users. YouTube may not reply or may decline our demand, in which case access will be banned once again."

Turkey is a European Union candidate country and is risking its possible membership of the bloc by restricting Internet freedom. The country has blocked access to as many as 5,000 websites.

Written by: James Delahunty @ 3 Nov 2010 19:10

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• 6 comments

• biglo30

  That didn't take long, I was expecting them to ban it again but not this fast. Now all the Turkey people are suffering because of one video.
  

  3.11.2010 19:21 #1

• attar

  What does anyone expect with the moolahs now in charge.
  Ataturk must be rotating.

  3.11.2010 20:06 #2

• Dela

  Originally posted by biglo30: That didn't take long, I was expecting them to ban it again but not this fast. Now all the Turkey people are suffering because of one video. The problem isn't actually the video, it's the reaction from Turkish authorities. Turkey may feel that this is their internal affair and they can do so if they wish, but the problem is Turkey is also looking to join the European Union. What I can't understand is Turkey is willing to change details in its constitution with regard to personal freedom and human rights etc. to comply with EU policies in those areas, but in this case it doesn't seem to want to compromise.
  
  That saddens me really because the best way to stand up to insulting videos and other things like that is to simply ignore it. I don't think Turkey is full of nothing but children who need the authorities to tell them what they can and cannot see, for their own protection. As for the video allegedly showing the politician in the bedroom with the female aide... there is an obvious reason why that would be a target of the authorities, and that's even worse because it is simply corruption.

  3.11.2010 20:08 #3

• Tristan_2

  This is why youtube is Flawed, Its Copyright Tools and Content ID Tools are free to everyone who has an account. These Tools SHOULD have to be bought in order to use them! These Tools has been HIGHLY Misused several times!
  

  3.11.2010 22:09 #4

• Notcow

  EU needs to simply reject Turkey's request to join the EU. They obviously aren't planning on complying.
  

  4.11.2010 16:44 #5

• ChappyTTV

  Originally posted by Notcow: EU needs to simply reject Turkey's request to join the EU. They obviously aren't planning on complying. That's what is driving Turkey to become even closer to the radical Muslim countries like Iran-istan.
  Turkey is a more moderate, open & democratic Muslim country and they're pissed the EU has ignored them for the last 20 years, which actually works against any hope of keeping Turkey as an important ally to the west. Turkey's acceptance to the EU would've kept them as a needed arbitrator, ally, & role model to help fledgling democracies in other Muslim controlled countries to succeed. The EU made a big mistake in every security analysts' eyes, and Turkey making moves to cuddle up to the radicals like Iran because of this is NOT in our best interests my friend.
  

  5.11.2010 14:36 #6