Wikipedia is perhaps the largest collection of consumer-compiled data in the world. If you decided to try it out in Turkey today though, you might find that your connection has been timed out.
At approximately 0800 h (0500 GMT) on Saturday the Turkish government used internet filters to rid the nation of any access to Wikipedia. The reason that President Erdogan gave for this is that the site propagated ‘propaganda against the Turkish government.’ Additionally, the ruling regime stated that the Wikipedia site was being used by ‘suspect’ writers to wrongfully link the Turkish government to terrorist groups.
Typically anyone who writes on Wikipedia is monitored, making it difficult for sensitive content to make it to the internet. The Turkish government blames the failure of regulation for the site has led it to be painted as an unfair militant regime. Though the government has shut down the site, it needs court approval before the ban becomes official. The court is said to rule on the matter in two days.
The editorial committee on the Wikipedia team responded to the ban by writing about it. Furthermore, Wikipedia President Jimmy Wales issued a statement saying that he expressed support and extended his sympathy to the Turkish people whose rights he felt had been violated.
The ban on Wikipedia has been one of many attempts by the ruling Turkish regime at regaining some of the power it lost after a failed attempt of a coup against it was organized last year. According to President Erdogan, America-based Fethullah Gulen was responsible for the failed overthrow attempt. Erdogan also accused Gulen of using Wikipedia to promote his agenda.
On Saturday, the Turkish government additionally laid off 4,000 civil service personnel among them army pilots and justice ministry employees in relation to the coup as well. This has been one in a recent string of moves by the current regime to arm-twist their perceived enemies within the state. On Wednesday the government had also had 1,000 people arrested in relation to the incident, though it denied any claim of the same.
The internet is a familiar tool for President Erdogan’s government to silence the opposition. Several sources say that after military attacks on areas within the country on in Syrian soil, the Turkish regime would block citizens’ access to Facebook and Twitter. The government refuted these accusations and blamed the apps’ failures on power outages and other unforeseeable misfortunes.
Another ban that was recently enforced in the Middle Eastern nation was the ban on certain televised programs which the Erdogan administration deemed ‘inappropriate’ according to the laws of the country. Government official even remarked that the programs were a threat to the institution of family in Turkey.
These latest moves by President Erdogan have been termed by several as a ‘move toward an Islamic culture and an authoritarian rule.’ The events all took place within days of President Erdogan declaring war on the Kurds, a group that resides in the neighboring Syrian territory.
