Turkey to block 'insulting' Web sites

[member006]

I'm not sure what to think of this being an American, other than sadness.

I can't even imagine if everything that had our honest opinions of Bush or others in our government were removed or banned in some way. With all its faults and I'm the first to admit we have many, but freedom of speech is the most valuable.

Any thoughts? On any country controlling the net.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/internet/04/06/turkey.youtube.ap/index.html

LL

 

[D-rock]

It's even worse when you consider what they classify as "insulting" will probably be whatever they want when it suits them. I find it amazing that countries like that will also sit around and wonder why people like us don't like them.

 

[Legzman]

Moral of the story:

Don't go to turkey expecting to surf internet porn!

 

[Philbert]

I feel the same way when I hear lawmakers and mobs trying to outlaw flagburning, abortion on demand, and morning after pills (and don't get me started on schools teaching ID alongside Evolution, etc.)!
All the same category as the Turkish desire to keep things the way certain segments of the country want, regardless of how many others want something else (like freedom to choose).
Sorta like the usual powertripper's "my way or the highway"; imagine how those in the know feel when people compare the majority of the world to the West and say we're all really the same, except we here want others to be just like us, or else.
And Turkey prides itself on being up to EU membership...what a laugh.
Attaturk outlawed Turkish clothing among his great reforms; imagine it being illegal to wear a ball cap (wear a turban or go to jail, American scum)!
It's way scary out there, but I have faith in the internet being ban proof...where there's a will there's a URL!

 

[dubbya9]

Go Maddox!

 

[Philbert]

Go Maddox!

Who's Maddox?

 

[member006]

Who's Maddox?

I assume he is referring to George "Maddox" Ouzounian.

LL

 

[BNF]

Moral of the story:

Don't go to turkey expecting to surf internet porn!

Like Philbert said: Turkey wants EU membership... right.

 

[georges]

Turkey will never be a member of the EU because many of its laws are retarded (sorry to say but it is the case), Turkey hasn't recognized a genocide (not sure if it was the Armenian or Kurd Genocide), it fights with Greece for a territory that has never been its property (Cyprus) and also torture is still used by Turkish police. Even when I was in Germany, there were fights that were often provoked by Turks. To be very honest, I don't think that Turkey brings something positive nor constructive to the EU. I will tend to think the same about the Turks who live in the leading european countries. Not many of them are well integrated, law abiding and cultured. There are too many differences between Turks and European people.
Just my very honest opinion.
I will always fight against the entry of Turkey in the EU. I have voted no against the European Constitution and I did right.

 

[The Captain]

Sounds like Turkey wants to slip back into the Dark Ages. Wasn't it not to long ago that Country was priding itself on "bridging the gap" between the Islamic World and the Western Progressive Democracies???

 

[dick van cock]

The main problem is that we're dealing with two Turkeys (gobble, gobble! )

The urban elite in Istanbul is as progressive and liberal as in any other European metropolis. But Turkey's other face is marked by the backwaters of Anatolia where an medieval feudal society is in place that does not adhere to the values of the West. Unfortunately, the country is governed by an Islamist party whose leader was banned from holding political office not too long ago because he had been convicted of inciting religious hatred and undermining the pillars of Kemalism.

If Turkey would be ruled strictly by Kemalism it would be welcomed by the EU. But in large parts of the country secularism and democracy are viewed as evil. The Erdogan administration caters to these people and as long as Atatürk's heritage is a minority opinion in Turkey the country cannot join the EU.

It is telling that mainly forces that want to see a weakened EU are pursuing Turkey's bid: The US and some weird anti-European figures in the member countries. We cannot divulge 70 million people who reject our values and an economy that would set us back several decades.

I'm confidant that Turkey will never join the EU. As long as Greece and Cyprus hold veto power against it nothing like this will happen.

BTW, georges: It was the Armenian genocide. Scholars have proved that it served as an influence for the holocaust. German observers had been present in Armenia 1918 (Turkey was a German ally in WW 1) and learned some tricks of the trade... ukey: It's a crime in Turkey to mention the genocide. Several intellectuals have been prosecuted for discussing it recently.

 

[The Captain]

Well, I guess the U.S. and our allies should scratch Turkey off our list of allied countries.

 

[member006]

Like Philbert said: Turkey wants EU membership... right.

I honestly don't know that much in detail about the EU like most here do. However I think that in looking at the countries that make up the EU. I don't see any immediate similarity of Turkey and their polices with any of them. So I really don't see it happening either. If they do what they are proposing though, blocking the net in addition to many of the other "off" polices they have, I "do" see them sealing their fate.

LL

 

[AFA]

It's even worse when you consider what they classify as "insulting" will probably be whatever they want when it suits them. I find it amazing that countries like that will also sit around and wonder why people like us don't like them.

Not to hijack but it's the same logic and distorted one sided facts in the US to support politicians on the gun ban.

 

[georges]

Not to hijack but it's the same logic and distorted one sided facts in the US to support politicians on the gun ban.

It is especially democrat politicians who never fired a gun who were for the ban.

 

[Iamforever]

Turkey will never be a member of the EU because many of its laws are retarded (sorry to say but it is the case), Turkey hasn't recognized a genocide (not sure if it was the Armenian or Kurd Genocide)

it wasnt a genocide. by the way, it was against the armenians.


anyway, if turkey wants to ban something, then so be it. its not like im going to turkey anytime soon.

 

[blakey]

Has anyone who has so far posted on here ever actually BEEN to Turkey - i have
or does anyone have any Turkish friends - i have

trust me - it's not some weird muslim country - on the beach you can wear your trunks or women can wear a bikini

To me Turkey COULD become part of Europe - think about it, pre-islam Turkey was part of European, in particular Greek culture ( eg Byzantium / Constantinople, Ephesus etc < and much of EU was muslim at some point in the last 1000 years ) and it is a mediteranian country also

Also - the guy who the government is trying to stop be criticised, Kemal Ataturk, was a moderniser, trying to stop Turkey being controlled by Islam and to bring the country into the 20th century with education for the masses etc

is there not a paradox in a supposed old-fashioned country about to re-enter the "Dark Ages" protecting the memory of a moderniser


I don't agree with Turkey blocking websites, they act badly in respect of Cyprus and they have a lot of further legal, economic and social reforms to come before they could get into EU
- but they will need to carry out these reforms prior to entry - the prospect of their entry should, therefore, encourage them to reform and modernise the country

but they got 21 million foreign tourists in 2005 - so it can't be all that bad
:2 cents:

 

[dick van cock]

Also - the guy who the government is trying to stop be criticised, Kemal Ataturk, was a moderniser, trying to stop Turkey being controlled by Islam and to bring the country into the 20th century with education for the masses etc

PM Erdogan is not a modernizer. He is an moderate Islamist who recruits his votes in the underdeveloped parts of the country where feudal society trumps loyalty to the state.

He was jailed for 10 months because as mayor of Istanbul he recited a poem inciting religious hatred. Quote: "Mosques are our barracks, domes our helmets, minarets our bayonets, believers our soldiers.".

He is the opposite to Atatürk's legacy.

is there not a paradox in a supposed old-fashioned country about to re-enter the "Dark Ages" protecting the memory of a moderniser.

Atatürk's legacy is closely guarded by the military which feels free to stage a coup whenever necessary if things swing in an anti-Kemalist direction. They did that thrice since 1923. The last time in 1980.

If you count the cold putsch of 1997 against Islamist PM Erbakan, make it four coups... Kemalism is hollowed out in large parts of Turkish society. They love Atatürk,, but they adore Allah! A paradox, indeed!

 

[RogueWolf]

Not to open a whole other can of worms...but America WILL quite possibly be doing something like this quite soon.

There are many in power who want to shut down talk radio, or make it so difficult for them to operate within the law it won't be worth their trouble to continue with a talk format.

Isn't talk radio a form of free speech? If so, then why is it in danger of becoming subject to unreasonable rules and regulations if not an actual shut-down.

 

[member006]

Not to open a whole other can of worms...but America WILL quite possibly be doing something like this quite soon.

There are many in power who want to shut down talk radio, or make it so difficult for them to operate within the law it won't be worth their trouble to continue with a talk format.

Isn't talk radio a form of free speech? If so, then why is it in danger of becoming subject to unreasonable rules and regulations if not an actual shut-down.

Exactly my point of bringing it up. I can't imagine not being able to say Bush is a ass on the Internet. We must continue to fight to keep our rights as given to us. Our first amendment rights are our most valuable of assets my friend. To turn a blind eye to the trickle of things being "slowly" taken from us will be our ruin. Nothing I can't think of has ever been attacked/challenged more than those rights. Its an ongoing battle that we must continue to stop the stifling attempts made on us dead in its tracks.

Like everything in life there are some exceptions. I think the right of free speech is a touchy subject. Many things while they shouldn't be stopped, are in need of better regulations. Regulations can keep both sides of the coin content. Talk radio as with porn for example 2257, shouldn't be so extreme as to shut them down. More safeguards are needed to protect our children from everything though, sorry to say. IMHO only of course.

When the day comes they say I can't call Bush a ass, they've stepped over the line.

I'm sorry, I'm rambling again and my mind is in ten different directions right now. lol A lot of work today.

LL