Access Block to Wikipedia in Turkey Taken to ECtHR

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

Blocked in Turkey since April 29, 2017 by the verdict of Ankara 1st Penal Court of Peace, Wikipedia has appealed to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) after exhausting all domestic remedies.

In a statement released by the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) at the time, it was indicated that access was blocked to Wikipedia after the online encyclopedia "did not remove the content that Turkey alleged to be supporting terrorist organizations."

As the related two content were not removed from the website, an access ban has been imposed on Wikipedia as a whole.

Appeal to supreme court remained inconclusive

Wikimedia Foundation Executive Board Chair Katherine Maher stated that they decided to appeal to the ECtHR after their applications to the supreme courts remained inconclusive.

In the petition submitted to the ECtHR, it has been emphasized that the content in question is within the scope of freedom of expression.

In a statement that she made last year, Maher also stated,

"While we were standing against censorship, we also tried to understand the concerns of the government [of Turkey]. We also informed them that the information shared on Wikipedia is not written or controlled by any central system, including the Wikimedia Foundation."

Wikipedia has been banned in Turkey, China and Venezuela. (HA/SD)