Web Users in Turkey Can No Longer Access Wikipedia

Turkish government blocked the site, claiming 'smear campaign'
By Michael Harthorne,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 29, 2017 3:04 PM CDT
Turkey Blocks Wikipedia, Accuses It of 'Smear Campaign'
In a move that social media users called censorship, Turkey blocked access to Wikipedia early Saturday.   (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)

Turkish internet users discovered early Saturday their government had banned access to Wikipedia, Reuters reports. The government in Turkey is allowed to ban access to websites if it decides they are obscene or a threat to national security. According to CNN, Turkey's communications ministry says articles on Wikipedia claimed the country was "aligned" with terrorist groups and accused the site of running a "smear campaign" against it. Wikipedia refused to remove the articles, so Turkey blocked access to the site. Turkey has temporarily blocked access to YouTube and Twitter in the past, and critics fear the country is turning toward authoritarianism. Also on Saturday, the Turkish government passed decrees dismissing more than 4,000 civil servants and banning TV dating shows, the AP reports. (More Turkey stories.)

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