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Minister of Transportation, Marine Affairs and Communication Ahmet Arslan has first claimed that sendika.org was closed due to “sexual harassment against children, prostitution and gambling”, and then apologized in his speech he made at the parliament.
In response, sendika.org issued a statement: “We accept neither your censorship nor your apology! Sendika.org will not remain silent!”.
Sendika.org and Wikipedia were asked
Republican People’s Party (CHP) MP Onursal Adıgüzel speaking at the budget discussions said that the number of censorships on sendika.org will be a world record if keeps going like this.
Minister Arslan: We’ll continue to block the site
Minister Arslan said, “We’ve blocked sendika.org because it provides opportunity for sexual harassment against children, prostitution and gambling, and crimes against Atatürk were committed. We’ll continue to do so”.
Concerning the ban of Wikipedia, Arslan said, “Wikipedia was insulting Atatürk. They shall seek the fault in themselves”.
Özdiş: sendika.org fights these
Taking the floor in response to minister’s statement, CHP Adana MP İbrahim Özdiş said, “Mr. Minister is deceived like the government. Sendika.org fights corruption and the foundations that abuse children. Say it if that is what bothers you”.
Minister apologized
Speaking upon that, Minister Arslan said, “When I check the records, the expression I used may be misunderstood. The blocking decision of sendika.org is related to the national security and public security. Let me especially stress it and let me apologize if it is understood in a different way”.
“However, there are 62 more closures other than this and they all are within the scope of what I’ve mentioned”.
In response to the debate, sendika.org said:
“We recommend Minister Ahmet Arslan not to recommence the censorships that you’ve stopped for the last four months. Do not get engage in a fight with the truth”.
Sendika.org has been blocked for 61 times so far. (EA/TK)
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