Turkey blocks access to Wikipedia for "smear campaign" against country

[midian182]

The Turkish government has blocked online encyclopedia Wikipedia using a law that bans access to sites considered obscene or a threat to national security. Website Turkey Blocks said citizens were unable to access Wikipedia without using a VPN as of 8:00 am local time Saturday.

"After technical analysis and legal consideration [...] an administrative measure has been taken for this website (Wikipedia.Org)," said Turkey’s BTK telecommunications watchdog in a statement.

The law it cites puts blocks in place for the protection of public order, national security or the well-being of the public. The state-run Anadolu Agency writes that Turkey’s Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications Ministry blocked the site due to its articles and comments showing Turkey in coordination and aligned with various terrorist groups.

“Instead of coordinating against terrorism, it has become part of an information source which is running a smear campaign against Turkey in the international arena,” said the ministry. The block was put in place after Wikipedia refused to take down the offending content at the request of the Turkish government.

Turkey Blocks reports that the blockage was approved by the Ankara first Criminal Court of Peace. Some users speculate that the ban is a result of criticism on President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Wikipedia page. The actions mean Turkey now joins China on the list of countries that completely blocks Wikipedia.

Update: Court order for #Wikipedia block approved by Ankara 1st Criminal Court of Peace https://t.co/LFun43BMP7 pic.twitter.com/LHuF5MaPaz

— Turkey Blocks (@TurkeyBlocks) April 29, 2017

Last year, Turkey blocked access to several sites and online services, including Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive, Google Drive, and Github, as it tried to control the spread of almost 60,000 stolen government emails.

In December 2016, a crackdown on VPN users led to the blocking of anonymity network The Onion Router, aka Tor. Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube have been blocked several times, and many anti-government sites remain inaccessible.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/69143-turkey-blocks-access-wikipedia-smear-campaign-against-country.html

 

[Rippleman]

Some counties are against knowledge sadly.

 

[cliffordcooley]

They're just butthurt the truth is getting out.

 

[davislane1]

Five years from now Turkey will be seen as being way ahead of the curve on this issue. It will also be clear that Erdogan is literally Hitler in application.

 

[EndlessWaves]

And you thought your politicians didn't understand how electronic stuff worked...

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

All politicians are turkeys as far as I'm concerned but Turkey's turkey's are the biggest turkey's to end all turkeys.

 

[Uncle Al]

I guess when your're stuck between Russia and Syria you don't get a lot of choices ... and they ones you get are generally terrible ....

 

[Ed Lampman]

The Erdogan dictatorship in Turkey has more journalists in jail than any other country in the world. Even more academics have been fired of jailed. There is no freedom of speech or freedom of the press. If Erdogan doesn't like you, he calls you either a Kurdish terrorist, a gulenist terrorist, or a toady to the West, and fires you and/or throws you in jail.
This blocking of Wikipedia is but the latest example of the dictatorship.

 

[captaincranky]

Oh look, Wikipedia has a page on the movie, "The Promise", about the Turkish genocide of the Armenian people.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Promise_(2016_film

Something tells me that won't be coming to "an Ankara movie theater near you",anytime soon...

 

[GirlDownunder]

Do those here in the USA believe that THEIR "reporters" are the only true god? The FAUX news, the rest of the "owned" media? The ones not allowed in your white house? Think again.

You, are working with blind-pride, as hopeless the leaders of the countries you mock. The USA has it's citizens as prisoners-- who may not leave unless they renounce citizenship & pay a $2350 fee (even the dirt-poor pay). Other 1st-world countries allow unrestricted movement. The USA demands you buy your freedom, just like the civil war era slaves. That wall Chump speaks of? It's to keep you in.

Research it.

 

[captaincranky]

Do those here in the USA believe that THEIR "reporters" are the only true god? The FAUX news, the rest of the "owned" media? The ones not allowed in your white house? Think again.

You, are working with blind-pride, as hopeless the leaders of the countries you mock. The USA has it's citizens as prisoners-- who may not leave unless they renounce citizenship & pay a $2350 fee (even the dirt-poor pay). Other 1st-world countries allow unrestricted movement. The USA demands you buy your freedom, just like the civil war era slaves. That wall Chump speaks of? It's to keep you in.

Research it.

When it comes right down to it, I'd rather be "trapped in the USA", than to have to pay those outrageous ANZAC prices for things I want, and have to listen to your nonsense to boot.