Turkey - First Twitter , are Facebook and You Tube next on the Erdogan chopping block ?

Turkey's Twitter ban sparks outrage, Google refuses to block YouTube videos

Published time: March 22, 2014 02:53
Edited time: March 22, 2014 07:10

People hold placards as they protest against Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan after the government blocked access to Twitter in Ankara, on March 21, 2014. (AFP Photo/Adem Altan)

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Corruption, Germany, Human rights,Internet, Law, Mass media, Politics,Turkey, UK

Turkey’s block of social media site Twitter on Thursday, and threats to do the same against other sites, has led to outrage among those who see the "digital coup" as a blatant attempt to silence corruption allegations in the run-up to local elections.

The Turkish government’s court-ordered block of Twitter has been denounced by many as an attempt to quell allegations of official misdeeds. But the government’s threats have not stopped with Twitter; Google has reportedly declined Turkey’s request to remove YouTube videos that allege government corruption, sources told The Wall Street Journal.

Amid a corruption scandal, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government has asked Google in recent weeks to block certain videos from its site in Turkey. Google has reportedly refused to comply, given it believes the requests are legally invalid.

After blocking Twitter, the government threatened to do the same with YouTube and Facebook, as the sites have been prime conduits for corruption allegations.

Sources said Google sensed that a threat to its services could be imminent after the Twitter block, though as of late Friday, YouTube was still online in Turkey.

The videos mainly in question are those that include the alleged recording of a conversation in which Erdogan tells his son to hide money from criminal investigators, a source told The Wall Street Journal. Erdogan has called the popular videos fake, claiming they are part of plans to oust his government.

Prior to the Twitter block, Erdogan, while on the campaign trail Thursday, vowed to “wipe out” the social media site, no matter what the international community might think. Turkey faces local elections on March 30.

Many in Turkey found ways around the ban, as Twitter published instructions on how to publish tweets via SMS text message. In addition, the hashtags #TwitterisblockedinTurkey and #TurkeyBlockedTwitter were popular across the world.

#twitterisblockedinturkey 

7:36 PM - 20 Mar 2014

#Twitter shut down in #Turkey - pic.twitter.com/xpnsE4qJny 
#TurkeyBlockedTwitter 
#ErdoganBlocksTwitter

7:18 AM - 21 Mar 2014

Even President Abdullah Gul challenged the ban and took to Twitter. "One cannot approve of the complete closure of social media platforms," Gul tweeted, putting himself at odds with Erdogan – a fellow leader of the ruling AK Party, which has tightened internet freedoms.

However, Gul – seen as a potential successor to Erdogan – has been reluctant to openly defy the prime minister ahead of the upcoming election. Gul’s critics say he’s been too hesitant to challenge Erdogan given his own political ambitions, Reuters reported.

Last month, the party pushed a controversial law tightening control over the internet, raising major concerns about free speech. It enabled authorities to block access to web pages within hours without a prior court order. The party is also accused of commanding increasingly more power over the courts and reassigning police, prosecutors, and judges as it fends off corruption allegations.

Erdogan calls the corruption accusations a plot cooked up by his political enemies to oust him from power.

Turkey’s top opposition party said it would challenge the Twitter ban and file a criminal complaint against Erdogan for violating personal freedoms. The Turkish bar association has also filed a court challenge.

People hold placards as they protest against Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan after the government blocked access to Twitter in Ankara, on March 21, 2014. (AFP Photo/Adem Altan)

Industry Minister Fikri Isik said the block would be lifted if Twitter named a representative in Turkey and agreed to block certain content as requested by the nation’s courts.

A company spokesman would not say whether Twitter would appoint a Turkish representative, but did say the company is talking with Turkey.

"We stand with our users in Turkey who rely on Twitter as a vital communications platform. We hope to have full access returned soon," the company tweeted.

The number of tweets by users in Turkey did not drop after the block, as over half a million tweets were posted in the following ten hours, according to Hurriyet Daily. In fact, many users took to the social media site to roundly mock Erdogan’s attempt to muzzle dissent.

Twitter was blocked by the courts after complaints by citizens that the site was a breach of privacy, and because the site had ignored earlier requests to take down content, according to telecoms watchdog BTK.

"Because there was no other choice, access to Twitter was blocked in line with court decisions to avoid the possible future victimization of citizens," BTK said, Reuters reported.

Turkey’s Twitter block was denounced by European Union Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele, who said the action "cast doubt on Turkey's stated commitment to European values and standards.” Turkey has long attempted to join the EU.

Germany also condemned the move, and the British Foreign Office said that social media had a“vital role to play in a modern democracy.”

Melis Çapulcu @MelisCapulienne
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#twitterisblockedinturkey

6:49 PM - 21 Mar 2014

Özge MOLLAOĞLU @Ozgegm
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ARE YOU CARRYING ANY WEAPONS? DRUGS? TWITTER? #ErdoganBlockedTwitter #TwitterisblockedinTurkey @cnni @BBCWorld

9:49 PM - 21 Mar 2014

Turkey widens Internet censorship

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The Turkish government has closed one of the most popular backdoors that Turks use to circumvent the blocking of Twitter.

Twitter had expressed hope that full access to the website will be returned soon, after a lawyer representing the microblogging platform met with Turkish authorities in Ankara on March 21.

Instead, the Turkish government has tightened the circle early March 22 by blocking access to Google public DNS service, too.

Many Turkish Twitter users had recently started to type 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4, the DNS addresses belonged to Google, into their network settings, hence easily bypassing the blocking ordered by the Turkish authorities.

The numbers had even appeared as a graffiti to teach other people how to enter Twitter, rendering the government practice one the most ineffective bans of history.

Turkish authorities didn't release any statement regarding the latest move which is believed to be based on an executive order, not a court ruling.

Meanwhile, the government has released a memo to explain its position. The statement reads that there are "hundreds of court rulings in Turkey" ordering Twitter to remove content, but the San Francisco-based social media company doesn't abide by them. However, a Turkish court had ruled that the Turkish government’s blocking of access did not originate from a court ruling.

Google DNS is not the only public DNS service that Turks are using. Other services, including Open DNS, as well VPN remain as viable options to circumvent Turkey's Twitter blocking, as long as they are not blocked, too.

Twitter 'hoping full access will return soon' after Ankara talks

ISTANBUL

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Twitter has taken action against the Turkish government’s ban on accessing to and hired a lawyer expert in cyber law, who met with government authorities on March 21. REUTERS photo

Twitter has expressed hope that full access to the website will be returned soon, after a lawyer representing the microblogging platform met with Turkish authorities in Ankara on March 21.

"We stand with our users in Turkey who rely on Twitter as a vital communications platform. We hope to have full access returned soon," the company tweeted via its own account in Turkish and English.

The closed-door meeting in Ankarawas reportedly the scene of some tough bargaining and little has been disclosed about the content yet.

Twitter has taken action against the government’s ban on access, hiring a lawyer expert in cyber law.

Lawyer Gönenç Gürkaynak has confirmed that he was set to meet officials from Turkey’s Telecommunications Authority (TİB) in Ankara on behalf of Twitter, adding that discussions for finding a legal solution were ongoing. In the past, Gürkaynak had worked on the legal case against the ban on YouTube.

He left the TİB headquarters at 4:00 p.m. local time without making any public statement.

A government minister stressed that Twitter should get a permanent legal representative and "enhance its cooperation" with the Turkish authorities.
Industry Minister Fikri Işık said the microblogging website should agree to block individual accounts if it wants to resolve the row.

Social media is rife with rumors that the authorities have demanded that Twitter remove certain accounts and disclose the identities of dissidents, including the online leakers of the wiretapped recordings allegedly proving widespread corruption.

US slams Turkey's move to shut down Twitter

WASHINGTON - Agence France-Presse

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'We urge the Turkish government to unblock its citizens' access to Twitter and ensure free access to all social media platforms,' US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement March 21. AFP Photo

The United States on March 21 slammed an attempt by Turkey to ban the online social network Twitter, which government opponents have used to publish corruption allegations.

State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the order to prevent Turks from accessing the U.S. firm's micro-blogging site was "contrary to Turkey's own expressed desire to be a model of democracy."

"The United States supports freedom of expression in Turkey and opposes any action to encroach on the right to free speech," she told reporters.

"We urge the Turkish government to unblock its citizens' access to Twitter and ensure free access to all social media platforms."

She added that she was not aware of any moves by the U.S. administration to play a role in reported negotiations between Twitter and the Turkish government.

But U.S. officials, including the U.S. ambassador to Turkey, have been working on the issue and "we've expressed our concerns through those channels."

Psaki stressed that "democratic governments must accept the challenge, to ... listen to the voices who disagree with us."

"An independent and unfettered media is an essential element of democratic, open societies and crucial to ensuring official transparency and accountability," Psaki added.

The White House has released a separate statement. "The United States is deeply concerned that the Turkish government has blocked its citizens’ access to basic communication tools," the statement by the White House Press Secretary said.

"We oppose this restriction on the Turkish people’s access to information, which undermines their ability to exercise freedoms of expression and association and runs contrary to the principles of open governance that are critical to democratic governance and the universal rights that the United States stands for around the world. We have conveyed our serious concern to the Turkish government, urge Turkish authorities to respect the freedom of the press by permitting the independent and unfettered operation of media of all kinds, and support the people of Turkey in their calls to restore full access to the blocked technologies," the statement continued.
March/21/2014

Turkish judiciary did not block Twitter, court rules

ISTANBUL

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Turkey had banned Twitter after Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan vowed to wipe out the website March 21. REUTERS photo

A Turkish court ruled March 21 that it could “repeal the ban on Twitter” as the Turkish government’s blocking of access to the social media platform did not originate from a court ruling.

The Union of Turkish Bar Associations (TBB) has filed a petition to the Istanbul Heavy Penal Court for a lifting of the ban.

In a written statement, TBB head Metin Feyzioğlu said the Istanbul Prosecutor’s Office had lost all its authority with the recent legal changes removing specially authorized prosecutors, and therefore could not rule to implement such a ban.

“With the ban, the TBB and millions of citizens cannot access Twitter for reasons that we still do not know,” Feyzioğlu’s statement read.

“A total ban on Twitter access is a violation of the European Convention on Human Rights, the Turkish Constitution and Law 5651 that includes Internet regulations. The TBB has applied to the courts for the immediate lifting of the ban. In addition, criminal complaints have been filed for those responsible for the ban ruling and the officials who applied the ban,” the statement added.

However, the court rejected the TBB’s file, pointing out that Twitter was blocked in Turkey as a result of “an executive decision, not a judicial verdict.”

Feyzioğlu has now vowed to apply to Turkey’s Telecommunications Directorate (TİB), which is enforcing the block on Twitter.
March/21/2014