BTK Insists on YouTube Ban

Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) stated that YouTube ban must still continue as the web content in dispute was still being broadcasted. 

According to BTK’s statement, Gölbaşı Assize Criminal Court issued a new verdict on YouTube ban on 4 April, banning 16 links in dispute but removing the ban of YouTube. BTK also added that the block of the website would go on. 

Gökhan Ahi: BTK acts arbitrarily

Responding bianet’s inquiries,Telecommunication lawyer Gökhan Ahi said that BTK acted arbitrarily and unlawfully. 

“BTK has no right to make this decision. The law no: 5651 make regulations for the internet and it clearly states under which circumstances a website can be accessed or not accessed. Only the court can rule about this subject. BTK acts arbitrarily right now. Moreover, according to the law, only URL page can be banned. To ban the access to the whole website is unlawful,” he said. 

“Furthermore, YouTube was banned because it revealed the secrets of the government. But right now except Turkey all countries can watch these video tapes. This is incoherent.”

Ban despite the court

Some of the highlights fromBTK’s statement are as follows:

“It was identified that 151 link had the same content on the related web page since 27 March. We notified YouTube and demanded the omission of these contents. YouTube removed some of these contents and banned some of these contents in Turkey not in abroad. It was known that some links which include the same contents still keep broadcasting.”

“Since some of the related contents are still being broadcasted the access to the web page ‘youtube.com’ is still blocked.”  (EA/BD/BM)

* Click here to read the article in Turkish.