Turkish Internet restrictions raise more concerns
Source: AP-EXCITE
By SUZAN FRASER
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) - New Internet restrictions approved by parliament are raising concerns the government is trying to control the flow of information amid a corruption scandal, and a senior European official on Thursday called the measures "a step back" for media freedom.
Under the legislation approved Wednesday, the country's telecommunications authority would be allowed to block websites or remove content that is deemed to be in violation of privacy without seeking court approval. Internet providers would also be forced to keep data on peoples' online activities and make them available to authorities when requested.
The bill, which still needs to be signed by the president, would extend the government's already tight grip on the Internet. Turkey, which hopes to become a member of the European Union, has already come under criticism for censorship and restriction on media freedoms.
In a tweet, European Parliament President Martin Schulz called the legislation "a step back in an already suffocating environment for media freedom."
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In this picture taken late Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2014, Oktay Vural, a leading deputy from the opposition Nationalist Action Party, MHP, holds up a placard during a parliamentary debate in Ankara, Turkey, shortly before Turkey's Parliament approved legislation that would tighten government controls over the Internet. Legislators approved measures which would allow Turkey's telecommunications authority to block websites or remove content that is deemed to be in violation of privacy, without first seeking a court decision. Under the new law, Internet providers would also be forced to keep data on peoples' online activities and make them available to authorities when requested. (AP Photo)