Gul defends Turkey's plans to filter internet access

PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkish President Abdullah Gul has defended Turkey's plans to filter access to some websites, saying at a meeting with Google Executive Chairman and former Chief Executive Officer Eric Schmidt that it is meant to protect families, Today's Zaman reported.

Schmidt, who had a meeting with Gul at the Çankaya Presidential Palace on Tuesday, June 21, spoke against the planned filtering system, saying at a meeting with journalists earlier in the week that it was a bad idea. But Gul said in the one-hour meeting that the filtering system was not a restriction on Internet access. The meeting was closed to the press.

Cihan news agency quoted Gul as saying that he valued Internet freedom but that the family, which he said keeps a society alive, was also valuable. Schmidt, for his part, reiterated that he was opposed to Internet restrictions.

On Aug. 22, all Internet subscribers will be required to sign up for one of the four levels of filtering, with the “standard” option allowing subscribers to access all available websites, according to the government. Turkey's Information Technologies and Communications Authority (BTK) has not revealed the exact details on which websites would be restricted under the three other filtering options.

Gul also said advancements in information technology contributed significantly to the strengthening of democracy, adding that revolutions in the Middle East are a good example of how the Internet has helped spread democracy. Social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter have been major tools in the spread of pro-democracy demonstrations across the Middle East.

Gul also asked Schmidt to take steps to reinforce Google's presence in Turkey through its office.