Internet Control against Turkish Leaks
Mine Gencel Bek
“Put the laptop down slowly from your hand”.
This was a reaction of a twitter user who makes a reference to American action films where we hear police saying “Put the gun down” against a suspect or a criminal with a gun. The slogan revealed the criminalizing official treatment on the internet which was seen as a gun against the new Internet law numbered 5651 passed on the 6th February with the justification of privacy. The law approved by the President authorizes the Telecommunications Communications (TIB), to block access to websites without court authorization in 4 hours. A person who feels being insulted by a website will be able to apply to the court directly and ask for the blocking the access of the related part in 24 hours. If this timing is too late, the Minister or the Telecommunications Communications will be able to obstruct accessing the related parts in the websites.
The minister responsible of communication and transportation Lütfi Elvan defended the law by arguing that with the authorization of the Telecommunications Communications (TIB) the sufferings of citizens will end:
“Our citizens will not go door to door to the service providers. What will they do? The decision will go to the TIB which will take the necessary steps. Thus the torment of our citizens will end”.
It was no wonder the PM was in a hurry to control internet with the law. A series of hidden telephone conversations revealed that the PM Erdogan ordered media companies what to write and what not to write, kept shouting at media owners following those news he did not like, many corruptions, scandals…etc. PM Erdogan claimed these records were not his voice, and fake.
The law is not sufficient. What is next? Banning youtube and facebook?
After the law was enacted and series of scandals were revealed through internet, PM Erdogan increased the tone of anger in his speeches “There are other steps we will take after the 30 March” (after local elections).
He declared that they may ban youtube and facebook soon. The Minister of Transport defended that as such:
“Think about this. Almost all things about your family, your private life are subjects. There are statements that you would be embarrassed even to read…These really do not suit us, especially to the nation’s moral values”.
(The assignment says no comment, so I should stop here).
This is a super interesting story you found in the Turkish Twittersphere. You link us to a search for the meme on Twitter. But of course that search is dynamic and impermanent. It would be helpful to see a few excerpts of saved Tweets dropped in to the story that show what you are discussing as examples of the types of responses.