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Week ending April 26, 2014

WAN-IFRA - World’s Press Appeals to President to Challenge Internet Legislation in Turkey - April 21, 2014
from Larry Kilman/WAN-IFRA

Turkey’s Internet laws tightened in move that increases risk of online censorship; Twitter ban lifted but Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan vows to continue his pursuit of the service.

The World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) has urged Turkish President Abdullah Gül to challenge recent legislation that provides sweeping powers to censor online content.

Against a backdrop of local election campaigning and the blocking of websites such as Twitter and YouTube, WAN-IFRA wrote to President Gül to commend him for opposing the Twitter ban, and to denounce Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s 20 March speech in which he vowed to “wipe out” Twitter.

The micro-blogging service was officially blocked until 4 April, a move described by users as a “digital coup”.

In its letter to the Turkish President, WAN-IFRA, which represents 18,000 newspapers and 15,000 online sites worldwide, found itself in the unusual position of praising a head of state for a positive move in favour of freedom of expression, congratulating President Gül for his opposition to the ban imposed by his own political party.

Yet WAN-IFRA urged the President to use his outspoken opposition to better protect digital liberties and freedom of expression in general.

The letter, which can be read at http://www.wan-ifra.org/node/102135/ , raised serious concerns about reports the Turkish government plans to submit additional amendments to an Internet law that will further restrict online freedoms.

An initial package of amendments to the country’s Internet laws, passed by parliament on 5 February, gives sweeping powers to the government to censor the Internet, monitor users and to take control of service providers and other technical intermediaries.

Despite last minute changes made “in the interest of democracy”, a proposed new bill seeks to drastically stretch the intelligence services' prerogatives, making it effectively impossible for them to undergo legal or journalistic investigations and jailing those who refuse to disclose information or who publish documents related to intelligence information.

With Twitter executives meeting the Turkish government on 16 April to hear a list of grievances following the ban, so far there is no indication the company will bend on its policy of refusing to reveal user identities.

WAN-IFRA is appalled at the number of journalists who remain in Turkish prisons, and while welcoming recent releases, reminded the President that they should never have been punished in the first place simply for doing their job.