News and Research articles on Turkey

Internet access

Remembering Mustafa Akgül

Melih Kırlıdoğ, North-West University

PUBLISHED ON: 18 Dec 2017

Mustafa Akgül of Bilkent University passed away on 13 December 2017 after a long battle with cancer. Commonly regarded as the "father of the internet in Turkey," he was one of the most important figures in establishing the first internet connection in Turkey on 12 April 1993.

Social media

Is the internet helping democracy or autocracy in Turkey?

Osman Coşkunoğlu, Turkish Parliament (formerly a member of)

PUBLISHED ON: 7 Feb 2017

After the global euphoria about the internet's potentials for empowering individuals and supporting democracy, more realistic arguments have been put forward against this optimism. 1 Indeed, we have been observing an ongoing fight between the autocratic government in Turkey and the Turkish people over using the internet for the last 10 years. It started with Law No. 5651 which was passed in 2007.

Volume 4, Issue 2
1

Internet censorship in Turkey

Mustafa Akgül, İhsan Doğramacı Bilkent University
Melih Kırlıdoğ, Marmara University
PUBLISHED ON: 3 Jun 2015 DOI: 10.14763/2015.2.366

Turkey passed an internet censorship law in 2007 with the declared objective of protecting families and minors. Since its introduction, the European Court of Human Rights has ruled that this law is against the European Convention on Human Rights. This article provides an overview of internet censorship and its social background in Turkey.

KEYWORDS: Censorship, Freedom of information, Filtering, Internet blockings, Law No. 5651
Freedom of expression

Internet freedom in Turkey: “It just keeps getting worse and worse”

Monika Ermert, Heise, Intellectual Property Watch, VDI-Nachrichten

PUBLISHED ON: 11 Sep 2014

When ‘governance’ started rhyming with ‘government’, Turkish activists thought, "it’s time to organise an alternative conference alongside the official UN Internet Governance Forum (IGF)". Read this interview with three organisers of the Internet Ungovernance Forum, which took place in Istanbul on 4-5 September 2014.

Data protection

President signs Turkish draconian internet law

Monika Ermert, Heise, Intellectual Property Watch, VDI-Nachrichten

PUBLISHED ON: 21 Feb 2014

Turkish business leaders, internet researchers and the Council of Europe were quick to reply when Turkish President Abdullah Gül went on to sign a package of draconian internet laws on February 18. The new legislation matters, not only for Turkey.

Volume 2, Issue 2

Cloud-friendly regulation: The EU’s strategy towards emerging economies

Osvaldo Saldias, Walter Hallstein Institute, Humboldt University
PUBLISHED ON: 4 Apr 2013 DOI: 10.14763/2013.2.119

Cloud computing is an inherently international matter, because it usually involves storage and processing of data in different locations. However, regulatory frameworks in non-EU contries do not always live up to European demands, i.e. concerning data protection. Looking at the EU cloud computing strategy, three political mechanisms can be identified through which the EU might try to promote regulatory changes beyond its borders.

KEYWORDS: Regulation, Positive conditionality, Emulation, Legal adequacy, Data protection, Multi-stakeholderism, Digital Millennium Act, Cloud, Cloud strategy, Free trade agreements, Marco Civil da Internet, EU Data Protection Regulation, Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP), Notice and take down, Cloud services