| Author (Person) | Fox, Benjamin |
|---|---|
| Series Title | EUObserver |
| Series Details | 07.02.14 |
| Publication Date | 07/02/2014 |
| Content Type | News |
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On 5 February 2014, the Turkish parliament passed a law that allows the government agency, the Telecommunications Communications Presidency (TIB), to block access to websites without a court order if they are deemed to violate privacy or seen as having 'insulting' content. This crackdown on the internet raised serious concerns in the European Commission and needed to be revised in line with European standards, the Commission's spokesman on enlargement, Peter Stano, said on 6 February 2014. According to EurActiv, a Turkish newspaper said on the 7 February 2014 that one of its journalists had been ordered to leave the country for criticising Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan on Twitter, raising concerns about media freedom a day after Turkey tightened internet controls. BBC News reported on the 8 February 2014 that Turkish riot police had fired water cannon and tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators marching in Istanbul in protest at the new laws tightening government control of the internet. Turkish President Abdullah Gul approved the new law on the 19 February 2014. However, Mr. Gul revealed on the 23 February 2014 that he had asked the Parliament to amend some of the points of the law. The Turkish prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, said in March 2014 that Facebook and YouTube could be banned following local elections in March 2014 after leaked tapes of an alleged phone call between him and his son went viral, prompting calls for his resignation. |
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| Source Link | http://euobserver.com/news/123045 |
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| Countries / Regions | Europe, Turkey |
