Alan Silberberg, Turkey's Blogger Ban and the Whisky Trench Riders

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Now then. I've not broached anything political on this blog before, but in the middle of Rach's Crusade, and all the fun I'm having reading everyone's writing blogs and research blogs and blogfest post blogs, and being so pleased that so many of you follow me, I've learned from Ayak that there's a ban on blogs in Turkey. Specifically, blogs hosted by Blogger.

Why this isn't getting more attention, I'm not sure. I know YouTube is banned in Turkey, and it boggles my mind that the population is more willing to seek workarounds (as all my friends there do) than actually protesting the ban.

What's frustrating is that my feeble brain seems unable to understand the legality behind this. According to World Bulletin, the site has been banned "following complaints by digital satellite platform Digiturk in Turkey, dipnot.tv reported. ...after Digiturk filed a complaint against the website on the grounds that it violated the company's broadcasting rights of Turkey's top football division. Speaking in Germany [Özeren] said the decision is a legal process between Google and Digiturk and only Google can solve the problem. ...'But within the two days at most, we expect the decision to have reached all providers. If the situation leading to the decision to ban the website is eliminated and Google appeals to the court, then the process may end.'"

It seems to be innocent users that suffer - can they not fight it out in court without cancelling the site?

In better news, Alan Silberberg's Milo: Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze (which I reviewed back in November) is out now in the UK, under the title Milo and the Restart Button. Check out his most recent interview, upon winning the SCBWI 2010 Sid Fleischman Humor Award.

And the Whisky Trench Riders have posted two new songs!

Comments

MTeacress said…
Hi Deniz, I left you an award on my blog today. :)
4 March 2011 at 18:15
Julie Musil said…
I had no idea blogs were banned in Turkey. How sad. It's the little things like that I take for granted.
4 March 2011 at 20:12
Nas said…
But why is blogging banned in Turkey?
5 March 2011 at 02:10
Theresa Milstein said…
On the upside, people of Tunisia and Egypt now have easier access for formerly banned books.

We are lucky to live in free places.
5 March 2011 at 07:09
Unknown said…
Yes, we are lucky where we live.
5 March 2011 at 17:33
Susan Fields said…
Wow, I had no idea there was a ban on blogs in Turkey. In my comfortable little spot here in the U.S., that's hard to even imagine. Like the other commenters, I'm so thankful to live in a place where I have the freedoms I have.
6 March 2011 at 05:27
Anonymous said…
This makes me very thankful for the freedoms I have.

I hope things change worldwide so that everyone has access to information they need, with the freedom to express themselves.
6 March 2011 at 08:58
Deniz Bevan said…
Ooh! Thanks for the award Michelle!

Thanks for dropping by everyone! I know, we do seem to take things for granted, and it's only when you hear of things like this that it reminds you. As far as I can tell it's a Google dispute over broadcast rights to certain sporting events. Again, why bloggers have to suffer because of that...
6 March 2011 at 12:03
Denise Covey said…
Well that's news to me but I can understand the mentality behind banning blogging - too much freedom of speech there! Thx for bringing it to my att'n Deniz.

I'm working my way around all my crusader groups this week.

Denise<3
6 March 2011 at 17:01
Carolyn Abiad said…
Copyright issues are a hot topic everywhere. I think wordpress and other sites were fine. My family just found a way around it.
6 March 2011 at 19:10
Deniz Bevan said…
They do seem to be quick at finding workarounds in Turkey [g] The last time I was there, we happened to be in an internet cafe and discovered that YouTube was inaccessible - five minutes later a teenager sitting nearby had shown us the latest workaround...
6 March 2011 at 20:59
Deniz Bevan said…
Thanks for dropping by Denise! I'm still not caught up with visiting all the crusaders.
6 March 2011 at 21:02
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