Abayomi Azikiwe, PANW Editor, Featured on RT Satellite Television: 'Turkish Court Lifts Controversial Twitter Ban'
March 26, 2014 10:04
Rt.com
To watch this RT news segment featuring Abayomi Azikiwe, editor of the
Pan-African News Wire, just click on the website below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KCq4diDs5o
An Ankara administrative court has issued a stay of execution on Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's controversial decision to block access
to Twitter.
The move comes just six days after Turkey's telecoms authority blocked
access to the popular social networking service following the PM's vow
to "wipe out Twitter" ahead of elections.
A number of complaints were filed challenging the controversial ban
last week. The Union of Turkish Bar Associations (TBB), the Ankara Bar
Associations, and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Deputy
Parliamentary Group Chair Oktay Vural were among those who applied to
the administrative court to challenge the ban, Turkey's Hurriyet daily
reports.
The Constitutional Court is expected to review individual applications
pertaining to the ban Wednesday.
"I'm told since this is a stay of execution, it can only be lifted by
the court that stayed it. Probably. So govt may need new court order,"
Zeynep Tufekci, an assistant professor at the School of Information
and Library Science at the University of North Carolina and a fellow
at the Center for Information Technology Policy at Princeton
University, wrote via Twitter.
"In any case, I hope that the Internet governing agency, TIB,
immediately removes the block on Twitter as now ordered by Ankara
court," she wrote.
Late Thursday night, Turkey blocked Twitter hours after Erdogan
threatened to close it down as the country braces for contentious
local elections Sunday.
Erdogan said during a live TV broadcast on Wednesday that Twitter had
failed to reach a compromise with authorities by agreeing to remove
"one or two" pieces of content from the micro-blogging service,
according to Hurriyet. There are "approximately 700 pieces of content"
that his government has demanded be scrubbed from the service.
An image of Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan on a twitter account
is pictured through a magnifying glass in this illustration picture
taken in Istanbul March 21, 2014 (Reuters / Murad Sezer)
On Thursday, Erdogan vowed to "wipe out Twitter" before a throng of
supporters in the northwestern city of Bursa.
"I don't care what the international community says. They will see the
Turkish republic's strength," Erdogan said.
On Tuesday, the United Nations urged Turkey to lift the ban in order
to comply with international human rights standards.
"We would urge the authorities to rescind the blocking of Twitter and
to review Law No. 5651 and 6518 to bring them in line with
international human rights standards," Rupert Colville, spokesperson
for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), said Tuesday.
In line with Erdogan's most recent comments, the prime minister's
office said last week that Twitter officials are currently ignoring
court rulings demanding they remove certain links.
"[In Erdogan's speech] it is stated that as long as Twitter fails to
change its attitude of ignoring court rulings and not doing what is
necessary according to the law, technically, there might be no remedy
but to block access in order to relieve our citizens," the statement
says, as quoted by Hurriyet.
On Friday, Industry Minister Fikri Isik said Twitter should get a
legal representative in Turkey and agree to block individual accounts
if it is to hammer out a compromise solution to the problem which has
led the government to block access to the service.
The same day, Turkish President Abdullah Gul publicly came out against
efforts to restrict access to social media websites.
"A total shutdown of social media platforms cannot be approved," Gul
wrote on his own Twitter account, despite the ban having already taken
effect.
Gul said only individual internet pages should be blocked, and only if
a court has ruled personal privacy has been violated. The irony that
the president was tweeting despite the PM's recent ban of the service
was not lost on Turkish Twitter users. Gul added that he hoped the ban
would not last for long.
Despite the use of virtual private networks (VPNs) and proxy networks,
the ban has had a concrete effect. According to statistics provided by
the opinion research company Semiocast, published by Hurriyet, the
number of tweets sent from Turkey and in Turkish had decreased by
nearly 50 percent since Twitter was blocked late March 21.
Erdogan has long had an adversarial relationship with Twitter.
Following nationwide protests against his decade-plus rule which
ignited in the central Istanbul last summer, the PM blamed opposition
to his rule on social media.
"There is now a scourge that is called Twitter. The best examples of
lies can be found there. To me, social media is the worst menace to
society," he told Turkish media.
Earlier this month, Erdogan also warned that Facebook and YouTube
might be banned following Sunday's election.
"If Twitter, YouTube or Facebook act honestly, we can give any kind of
support. But if they continue efforts to break up families, they have
to face the Turkish Republic's government," Erdogan told a throng of
supporters at a rally in Istanbul on Sunday.
Twitter and other social networking sites have been major platforms to
transmit alleged tapped telephone conversations which appear to
substantiate corruption allegations against Erdogan's inner circle.
The revelations have forced the resignation of three ministers and a
cabinet reshuffle. Erdogan claims the probe is an attempt by his
political rivals to discredit his government.
Despite the scandals, opinion polls suggest that Erdogan's AK Party is
expected to win the March 30 municipal elections, which kick off a
critical 15-month voting cycle that will culminate in presidential and
parliamentary contests.
Twitter sues Turkey over service ban
March 26, 2014 16:01
Rt.com
Twitter has filed lawsuits in several Turkish courts to challenge an
access ban on its service recently pushed through by Prime Minister
Tayyip Erdogan. The move comes on the same day an Ankara
administrative court moved to suspend the ban.
"It's now been six days since the Turkish government blocked access to
Twitter. Throughout this time, we've been engaged in a discussion with
Turkish authorities to hear their concerns, inform them about how our
platform and policies work, and try and bring this situation to a
resolution," Hurriyet Daily cited Twitter's general counsel, Vijaya
Gadde, as saying on the social media platform's official blog.
"But still, the millions of people in Turkey who turn to Twitter to
make their voices heard are being kept from doing just that."
Twitter said that Wednesday they filed petitions for lawsuits in
various Turkish courts "to challenge the access ban on Twitter,
joining Turkish journalists and legal experts, Turkish citizens and
the international community in formally asking for the ban to be
lifted."
The micro-blogging service also suspended content related to two of
three court orders given as the legal basis for the ban because they
violated its own rules. But it was challenging a third order to remove
an account, which accused a former minister of corruption.
During a live TV broadcast Wednesday, Erdogan said that Twitter had
failed to reach a compromise with authorities by agreeing to remove
"one or two" pieces of content from the micro-blogging service.
According to the PM, there are "approximately 700 pieces of content"
that his government has demanded be scrubbed from the service.
Meanwhile, an administrative court in the capital, Ankara, issued a
stay of execution on last week's decision by the country's
telecommunication authority (TIB).
Once the TIB is informed by the court, the ban is expected to be
lifted. The authority has 30 days to implement or appeal a court
ruling halting a block on access to Twitter, a source in the PM's
office told Reuters on Wednesday.
Six days earlier, Turkish authorities blocked Twitter, just hours
after Erdogan threatened to close it down. Authorities claimed the
popular social networking site had failed to remove allegations of
corruption involving senior officials as the country prepares for
local elections Sunday.
While users have found different of circumventing the prohibition,
including virtual private networks (VPNs) and other proxy networks,
the ban has had a concrete effect.
Erdogan has long had an adversarial relationship with the blogging
platform - to the extent that in one of his speeches the PM even vowed
to "wipe out" Twitter and dubbed it "a scourge."
Earlier this month, Erdogan also warned that Facebook and YouTube
might be banned following Sunday's election.
"If Twitter, YouTube or Facebook act honestly, we can give any kind of
support. But if they continue efforts to break up families, they have
to face the Turkish Republic's government," Erdogan told a throng of
supporters at a rally in Istanbul on Sunday.
Twitter and other social networking sites have been major platforms to
transmit alleged tapped telephone conversations which appear to
substantiate corruption allegations against Erdogan's inner circle.
The revelations have forced the resignation of three ministers and a
cabinet reshuffle. Erdogan claims the probe is an attempt by his
political rivals to discredit his government.
Despite the scandals, opinion polls suggest that Erdogan's AK Party
will win the March 30 municipal elections, which kick off a critical
15-month voting cycle that will culminate in presidential and
parliamentary contests.
 |
| Abayomi Azikiwe, editor of the Pan-African News Wire, on RT satellite television news. |
March 26, 2014 10:04
Rt.com
To watch this RT news segment featuring Abayomi Azikiwe, editor of the
Pan-African News Wire, just click on the website below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KCq4diDs5o
An Ankara administrative court has issued a stay of execution on Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's controversial decision to block access
to Twitter.
The move comes just six days after Turkey's telecoms authority blocked
access to the popular social networking service following the PM's vow
to "wipe out Twitter" ahead of elections.
A number of complaints were filed challenging the controversial ban
last week. The Union of Turkish Bar Associations (TBB), the Ankara Bar
Associations, and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Deputy
Parliamentary Group Chair Oktay Vural were among those who applied to
the administrative court to challenge the ban, Turkey's Hurriyet daily
reports.
The Constitutional Court is expected to review individual applications
pertaining to the ban Wednesday.
"I'm told since this is a stay of execution, it can only be lifted by
the court that stayed it. Probably. So govt may need new court order,"
Zeynep Tufekci, an assistant professor at the School of Information
and Library Science at the University of North Carolina and a fellow
at the Center for Information Technology Policy at Princeton
University, wrote via Twitter.
"In any case, I hope that the Internet governing agency, TIB,
immediately removes the block on Twitter as now ordered by Ankara
court," she wrote.
Late Thursday night, Turkey blocked Twitter hours after Erdogan
threatened to close it down as the country braces for contentious
local elections Sunday.
Erdogan said during a live TV broadcast on Wednesday that Twitter had
failed to reach a compromise with authorities by agreeing to remove
"one or two" pieces of content from the micro-blogging service,
according to Hurriyet. There are "approximately 700 pieces of content"
that his government has demanded be scrubbed from the service.
An image of Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan on a twitter account
is pictured through a magnifying glass in this illustration picture
taken in Istanbul March 21, 2014 (Reuters / Murad Sezer)
On Thursday, Erdogan vowed to "wipe out Twitter" before a throng of
supporters in the northwestern city of Bursa.
"I don't care what the international community says. They will see the
Turkish republic's strength," Erdogan said.
On Tuesday, the United Nations urged Turkey to lift the ban in order
to comply with international human rights standards.
"We would urge the authorities to rescind the blocking of Twitter and
to review Law No. 5651 and 6518 to bring them in line with
international human rights standards," Rupert Colville, spokesperson
for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), said Tuesday.
In line with Erdogan's most recent comments, the prime minister's
office said last week that Twitter officials are currently ignoring
court rulings demanding they remove certain links.
"[In Erdogan's speech] it is stated that as long as Twitter fails to
change its attitude of ignoring court rulings and not doing what is
necessary according to the law, technically, there might be no remedy
but to block access in order to relieve our citizens," the statement
says, as quoted by Hurriyet.
On Friday, Industry Minister Fikri Isik said Twitter should get a
legal representative in Turkey and agree to block individual accounts
if it is to hammer out a compromise solution to the problem which has
led the government to block access to the service.
The same day, Turkish President Abdullah Gul publicly came out against
efforts to restrict access to social media websites.
"A total shutdown of social media platforms cannot be approved," Gul
wrote on his own Twitter account, despite the ban having already taken
effect.
Gul said only individual internet pages should be blocked, and only if
a court has ruled personal privacy has been violated. The irony that
the president was tweeting despite the PM's recent ban of the service
was not lost on Turkish Twitter users. Gul added that he hoped the ban
would not last for long.
Despite the use of virtual private networks (VPNs) and proxy networks,
the ban has had a concrete effect. According to statistics provided by
the opinion research company Semiocast, published by Hurriyet, the
number of tweets sent from Turkey and in Turkish had decreased by
nearly 50 percent since Twitter was blocked late March 21.
Erdogan has long had an adversarial relationship with Twitter.
Following nationwide protests against his decade-plus rule which
ignited in the central Istanbul last summer, the PM blamed opposition
to his rule on social media.
"There is now a scourge that is called Twitter. The best examples of
lies can be found there. To me, social media is the worst menace to
society," he told Turkish media.
Earlier this month, Erdogan also warned that Facebook and YouTube
might be banned following Sunday's election.
"If Twitter, YouTube or Facebook act honestly, we can give any kind of
support. But if they continue efforts to break up families, they have
to face the Turkish Republic's government," Erdogan told a throng of
supporters at a rally in Istanbul on Sunday.
Twitter and other social networking sites have been major platforms to
transmit alleged tapped telephone conversations which appear to
substantiate corruption allegations against Erdogan's inner circle.
The revelations have forced the resignation of three ministers and a
cabinet reshuffle. Erdogan claims the probe is an attempt by his
political rivals to discredit his government.
Despite the scandals, opinion polls suggest that Erdogan's AK Party is
expected to win the March 30 municipal elections, which kick off a
critical 15-month voting cycle that will culminate in presidential and
parliamentary contests.
Twitter sues Turkey over service ban
March 26, 2014 16:01
Rt.com
Twitter has filed lawsuits in several Turkish courts to challenge an
access ban on its service recently pushed through by Prime Minister
Tayyip Erdogan. The move comes on the same day an Ankara
administrative court moved to suspend the ban.
"It's now been six days since the Turkish government blocked access to
Twitter. Throughout this time, we've been engaged in a discussion with
Turkish authorities to hear their concerns, inform them about how our
platform and policies work, and try and bring this situation to a
resolution," Hurriyet Daily cited Twitter's general counsel, Vijaya
Gadde, as saying on the social media platform's official blog.
"But still, the millions of people in Turkey who turn to Twitter to
make their voices heard are being kept from doing just that."
Twitter said that Wednesday they filed petitions for lawsuits in
various Turkish courts "to challenge the access ban on Twitter,
joining Turkish journalists and legal experts, Turkish citizens and
the international community in formally asking for the ban to be
lifted."
The micro-blogging service also suspended content related to two of
three court orders given as the legal basis for the ban because they
violated its own rules. But it was challenging a third order to remove
an account, which accused a former minister of corruption.
During a live TV broadcast Wednesday, Erdogan said that Twitter had
failed to reach a compromise with authorities by agreeing to remove
"one or two" pieces of content from the micro-blogging service.
According to the PM, there are "approximately 700 pieces of content"
that his government has demanded be scrubbed from the service.
Meanwhile, an administrative court in the capital, Ankara, issued a
stay of execution on last week's decision by the country's
telecommunication authority (TIB).
Once the TIB is informed by the court, the ban is expected to be
lifted. The authority has 30 days to implement or appeal a court
ruling halting a block on access to Twitter, a source in the PM's
office told Reuters on Wednesday.
Six days earlier, Turkish authorities blocked Twitter, just hours
after Erdogan threatened to close it down. Authorities claimed the
popular social networking site had failed to remove allegations of
corruption involving senior officials as the country prepares for
local elections Sunday.
While users have found different of circumventing the prohibition,
including virtual private networks (VPNs) and other proxy networks,
the ban has had a concrete effect.
Erdogan has long had an adversarial relationship with the blogging
platform - to the extent that in one of his speeches the PM even vowed
to "wipe out" Twitter and dubbed it "a scourge."
Earlier this month, Erdogan also warned that Facebook and YouTube
might be banned following Sunday's election.
"If Twitter, YouTube or Facebook act honestly, we can give any kind of
support. But if they continue efforts to break up families, they have
to face the Turkish Republic's government," Erdogan told a throng of
supporters at a rally in Istanbul on Sunday.
Twitter and other social networking sites have been major platforms to
transmit alleged tapped telephone conversations which appear to
substantiate corruption allegations against Erdogan's inner circle.
The revelations have forced the resignation of three ministers and a
cabinet reshuffle. Erdogan claims the probe is an attempt by his
political rivals to discredit his government.
Despite the scandals, opinion polls suggest that Erdogan's AK Party
will win the March 30 municipal elections, which kick off a critical
15-month voting cycle that will culminate in presidential and
parliamentary contests.
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