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TURKEY SHUTS OFF YOUTUBE AFTER 'SYRIA INVASION PLAN' LEAK
Published time: March 27, 2014 15:00
Edited time: March 27, 2014 17:40
Reuters / Eric Gaillard
Access to YouTube has been cut off in Turkey after an explosive leak
of audiotapes that appeared to show ministers talking about provoking
military intervention in Syria. Other social media have already been
blocked ahead of tumultuous local elections.
The latest leaked audio recording, which reportedly led to the ban,
appears to show top government officials discussing a potential attack
on the tomb of Suleyman Shah, the grandfather of the founder of the
Ottoman Empire.
The tomb is in Syrian territory, but protected by Turkish soldiers.
On the tape, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is heard to
say that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan sees any attack as an
"opportunity" to increase Turkish presence in Syria, where it has
staunchly supported the anti-Assad rebels. Security chief Hakan Fidan
then goes one step further, and suggests staging a fake attack to
give Turkey a casus belli to intervene in the conflict.
Turkish officials have recently vowed to protect the tomb as its
"national soil."
The Foreign Ministry in Ankara reacted to the tape by issuing a
statement, calling the leak a "wretched attack" on national security.
It also claims the tape was "partially manipulated."
"These treacherous gangs are the enemies of our state and people. The
perpetrators of this attack targeting the security of our state and
people will be uncovered in the shortest time and will be handed over
to justice to be given the heaviest penalty," the ministry said.
A source inside the office of President Abdullah Gul, who has taken
a softer line than Erdogan over the series of government leaks,
told Reuters that access to YouTube may be restored if the sensitive
content is removed, even though the original video has been deleted.
Invoking national security and privacy concerns has been the
government's tactic in fighting off a stream of leaks showing top
officials engaging in unsavory or downright illegal practices.
Erdogan has also repeatedly claimed that most of the audio recordings
are fakes. He labeled the latest audio revelation "villainous" during
a stump speech in Diyabakir.
Twitter, another popular source for leaks, has already been shut down
in Turkey since March 20, after a court order.
Since then, the California-based social network and organizations have
fought in several courts to have the decision reversed, calling it
"disproportionate and illegal."
A court ruling in Ankara on Wednesday supported the appeal, but
the country's regulator has a month to unblock Twitter, leading
to speculation that any such move would only take place after the
election.
The incumbent party also enjoys the benefit of robust privacy
legislation passed last month, which makes it easy to cut off any
website even before any violation has been legally proven.
The US has led the chorus of international condemnation, calling
the government's moves"censorship" tantamount to "21st century
book-burning."
http://rt.com/news/turkey-block-youtube-twitter-649/
Published time: March 27, 2014 15:00
Edited time: March 27, 2014 17:40
Reuters / Eric Gaillard
Access to YouTube has been cut off in Turkey after an explosive leak
of audiotapes that appeared to show ministers talking about provoking
military intervention in Syria. Other social media have already been
blocked ahead of tumultuous local elections.
The latest leaked audio recording, which reportedly led to the ban,
appears to show top government officials discussing a potential attack
on the tomb of Suleyman Shah, the grandfather of the founder of the
Ottoman Empire.
The tomb is in Syrian territory, but protected by Turkish soldiers.
On the tape, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is heard to
say that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan sees any attack as an
"opportunity" to increase Turkish presence in Syria, where it has
staunchly supported the anti-Assad rebels. Security chief Hakan Fidan
then goes one step further, and suggests staging a fake attack to
give Turkey a casus belli to intervene in the conflict.
Turkish officials have recently vowed to protect the tomb as its
"national soil."
The Foreign Ministry in Ankara reacted to the tape by issuing a
statement, calling the leak a "wretched attack" on national security.
It also claims the tape was "partially manipulated."
"These treacherous gangs are the enemies of our state and people. The
perpetrators of this attack targeting the security of our state and
people will be uncovered in the shortest time and will be handed over
to justice to be given the heaviest penalty," the ministry said.
A source inside the office of President Abdullah Gul, who has taken
a softer line than Erdogan over the series of government leaks,
told Reuters that access to YouTube may be restored if the sensitive
content is removed, even though the original video has been deleted.
Invoking national security and privacy concerns has been the
government's tactic in fighting off a stream of leaks showing top
officials engaging in unsavory or downright illegal practices.
Erdogan has also repeatedly claimed that most of the audio recordings
are fakes. He labeled the latest audio revelation "villainous" during
a stump speech in Diyabakir.
Twitter, another popular source for leaks, has already been shut down
in Turkey since March 20, after a court order.
Since then, the California-based social network and organizations have
fought in several courts to have the decision reversed, calling it
"disproportionate and illegal."
A court ruling in Ankara on Wednesday supported the appeal, but
the country's regulator has a month to unblock Twitter, leading
to speculation that any such move would only take place after the
election.
The incumbent party also enjoys the benefit of robust privacy
legislation passed last month, which makes it easy to cut off any
website even before any violation has been legally proven.
The US has led the chorus of international condemnation, calling
the government's moves"censorship" tantamount to "21st century
book-burning."
http://rt.com/news/turkey-block-youtube-twitter-649/