After nearly three years, a Turkish court has lifted the government’s ban on the online encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
The ban was imposed when Turkey accused Wikipedia of participating in a campaign against the country, after the website refused to remove content that according to Turkey, was portraying the country as a supporter of the Islamic State and other terrorist groups.
After Wikipedia fought the ban in court, last month it ruled in favor of the website with ten to six majority. The court explained that the ban violated freedom of expression.
Critics have constantly blamed Turkey of violating the right to free speech. Many other websites are still banned in Turkey. Access to Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp is often shortly blocked for allegedly insulting Turkish political figures. The country’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his ruling party deny the charges.
Last month, a Turkish court ignored the binding ruling by the European Court of Human Rights calling for the release of a human rights activist, and instead decided he should remain in jail. The move was seen as another attempt of Erdogan’s government to silence the opposition.
Besides China, Turkey had been the only country to completely ban Wikipedia.
Turkey lifts ban on Wikipedia after 3 years
EPA/BORIS ROESSLER
A file photo dated 05 August 2005 showing logos of the internet cyclopaedia 'Wikipedia' in several languages at the 'First International Wikimedia Conference' in Frankfurt, Germany. Wikipedia, the free-content Internet encyclopaedia was founded by Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger and marks the 15th anniversary of its founding on 15 January 2016. Wikipedia says it contains more than 37 million articles, is available in 288 editions, has more than 115,600 active editors and more than 27 million registered editors.
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