Turkey Prez tweets against YouTube ban

Ankara, Jun 12: Abdullah Gul, the president of Turkey, has made his disagreement over the country's ban on YouTube and some Google services public by tweeting about it.

"I know there are lots of complaints about bans on YouTube and Google," said Gul in a Twitter post.

"I am definitely against them being closed down. I have ordered responsible institutions for a solution. I asked for a change in regulations on merit," he added.

This tweet may leave several human rights groups and media watchdog associations, which have long fought against Turkey's internet censorship breathing a sigh of relief as at least one leader in the country has a leaning towards media freedom.

However, it should be noted that the powers of president in Turkey limited as presidency is largely ceremonial. Prime Minister and his cabinet have the authority to take decisions.

YouTube was banned in 2008 after users of the popular video-sharing site posted defamatory videos in which they said Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey, was an alcoholic and a homosexual while few weeks back Turkey's Telecommunications Board blocked some Google websites citing 'legal reasons'.

According to Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Turkey, a European Union candidate, blocks about 3,700 Internet sites for 'arbitrary and political reasons'.

OneIndia News