Bianet: Seventh Website Ban within One Month

Access has been banned to the expatriates.com website which provides information and networking services for people constantly living abroad. The decision was taken by the Telecommunication Communication Presidency for reasons of ‘administrative measures’.

Erol ÖNDEROĞLU, hukuk@bianet.org
Istanbul – BİA News Center
19 October 2009, Monday

The website www.expatriates.com was banned under article 5651 of the Act on Internet Crimes. The website serves as a source of information and networking services for expatriates in Turkey and all over the world.

Internet users in Turkey who want to access the site encounter the following announcement by the Telecommunications Communication Presidency (TİB):

‘ADMINISTRATIVE MEASURES have been applied to this internet site (expatirates.com) by the decision of the Telecommunications Communication Presidency dated 23.06.2009, no. 421.02.02.2009-179234 as a result of technical inspection and legal evaluation of index crimes regarding law article 5651’.
Ban on website for foreigners

bianet was informed by an internet user about the censorship, explaining the site as follows, ‘I used the site to look for a Turkish teacher for my child for instance, there are many ads of private Turkish teachers. Foreigners living in Turkey can also advertise for a car with an ‘M’ plate (special tax conditions for foreigners). There are advertisements on an international scope, not only within the borders of Turkey. The most frequently used language of the site is English’.
Access to MySpace re-opened, Last FM still blocked

On 19 September access was blocked to MySpace and Last FM, two of the world’s largest websites for social networking and music sharing, after a complaint from the Association of Interconnected Ownership Right Phonogram Producers (MÜYAP). The Turkish site AkkıllıTV.com was censored on the same day.

Access to MySpace has been re-opened after an agreement on copyright issues. LastFM.com is still blocked.

In the beginning of this month access was also blocked to LGBT social networking websites haydigayri.com, gabile.com and shemaleturk.com on the grounds of ‘index crimes’. (EÖ/VK)