| Author (Person) | Nielsen, Nikolaj |
|---|---|
| Series Title | EUObserver |
| Series Details | 28.03.14 |
| Publication Date | 28/03/2014 |
| Content Type | News |
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After having denied Turkey's 12 million Twitter users access to the micro-blogging site earlier in March 2014, Turkish authorities moved to block YouTube on the 27 March 2014. The YouTube block, according to Turkey’s national telecommunications authority, was needed as a precautionary administrative measure hours after a government recording on possible Syria military operations was leaked onto the social media site. EU digital affairs commissioner Neelie Kroes condemned the move via twitter. On the 31 March 2014, Andreas Scheuer, German CSU's general secretary, called for the negotiations on Turkey's accession to the European Union to be stopped. Anne Brasseur, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) said 'Just prior to key local elections, the total blocking of access to YouTube is a further worrying development regarding freedom of expression and is contrary to the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights. Once again, it raises serious questions about the application of the law on the Internet passed last February. The restrictions on freedom of expression must be strictly regulated'. The BBC and other news sources reported on the 3 April 2014 that the Turkish authorities have lifted the ban on Twitter following a constitutional court ruling on the 2 April 2014. The court had told the country's telecommunication authorities the two-week-old ban must be lifted as it was a breach of freedom of expression. On the 4 April 2014 another court ordered the lifting of the similar ban on YouTube. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticised on the 4 April 2014 the Constitutional Court ruling which lifted the ban on Twitter. |
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| Source Link | http://euobserver.com/foreign/123667 |
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| Countries / Regions | Europe, Turkey |
