18?type=technologyNews

Turkey blocking 3,700 websites, reform needed: OSCE

11:27am EST

VIENNA (Reuters) – Europe’s main security and human rights watchdog
said on Monday that Turkey was blocking some 3,700 Internet sites for
"arbitrary and political reasons" and urged reforms to show its
commitment to freedom of expression.

Milos Haraszti, media freedom monitor for the 56-nation Organization
for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), said Turkey’s Internet
law was failing to preserve free expression in the country and should
be changed or abolished.

"In its current form, Law 5651, commonly known as the Internet Law of
Turkey, not only limits freedom of expression, but severely restricts
citizens’ right to access information," Haraszti said in a statement.

He said Turkey, a European Union candidate, was barring access to
3,700 Internet sites, including YouTube, GeoCities and some Google
pages, because Ankara’s Internet law was too broad and subject to
political interests.

"Even as some of the content that is deemed ‘bad’, such as child
pornography, must be sanctioned, the law is unfit to achieve
this. Instead, by blocking access to entire websites from Turkey, it
paralyzes access to numerous modern file-sharing or social networks,"
Haraszti said.

"Some of the official reasons to block the Internet are arbitrary and
political, and therefore incompatible with OSCE’s freedom of
expression commitments," he said. Asked about the OSCE remarks, a
Turkish transport and communications ministry official who asked not
to be named told Reuters: "Turkey provides unlimited and equal access
for all parts of society. It is above the EU average on this issue.

"The regulations over Internet have a dynamic structure and necessary
legal changes are made when problems are detected in implementation,"
the official added.
Haraszti said Turkish law was still failing to safeguard freedom of
expression, and numerous criminal code clauses were being used against
journalists, who risked being sent to jail as a result.

Fears for press freedom in Turkey have risen following state attempts
to collect a $3.3 billion fine from major media group Dogan in a tax
row, part of pressure on Dogan to obey a law limiting foreign
ownership of Turkish firms.

In October, the European Commission’s annual report on Turkey’s
progress toward EU membership urged Turkey to treat Dogan fairly and
said Ankara needed to do more to protect freedom of expression and the
press.

(Additional reporting by Hatice Aydogdu in Ankara; Writing by Mark
Heinrich; Editing by Noah Barkin)

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