土耳其新的互联网规则引发对更多新闻限制的担忧

Turkey's New Internet Rules Raise Fears of More Press Restrictions¹

Turkey’s new controls on internet use have taken effect.

The Turkish government says all broadcasters now have to follow the rules required for all radio and television stations on the internet.

Critics claim the new measures are an attempt to silence the last platform for independent reporting.

"This measure burns us," said Onur Oncu. He works² as a reporter for Ozguruz, a news website. Every day, he sends reports to Berlin, where Ozguruz is based.

The website says it provides independent news outside the control of Turkey's government. But the new rules say even the internet falls under government control.

"There are so many internet portals in Turkey. News sites, web TV, even by phone, people can do citizen journalism³ via Periscope," said Oncu. "And the government saw this, and it became a troublesome issue for them because they couldn't prevent it. The new broadcasting law has become a way to prevent it."

Media watchdogs

Turkish media critics say as much as 90 percent of the country’s traditional media belongs to pro-government groups. State officials control the reporting. They decide what information the public is permitted to know.

Because of those controls, journalists who want to report freely⁵ now write and produce stories for the internet. In recent years, the number of television and radio internet news sources has jumped.

Many well-known Turkish journalists now work on the internet. They had been dismissed⁶ from earlier jobs for critical reporting.

To get important political information, “you have to go to social media," said Yaman Akdeniz. He is with the Istanbul-based Freedom of Expression Society.

"That's why the Turkish authorities⁷ are targeting the internet," he added.

The Freedom of Expression Society claims that Turkish officials have blocked over 245,000 websites. That would make Turkey one of the world's most restrictive countries for the internet.

The websites of Twitter and YouTube have been blocked, while the country has banned Wikipedia since 2017.

The government says the latest internet control measures are aimed at creating one system of rules that everyone follows.

Under the new law, broadcasters operating on the internet must ask the government for permission to show their news in Turkey. Without permission, they can be blocked or face large fines.

Court fight

Over the past few months, Turkish courts have ruled against the government in highly-publicized cases involving freedom of expression.

In September, Turkey's top appeals court ruled for the release⁸ of five journalists. They were jailed⁹ on terrorism charges along with 14 other former employees of the Cumhuriyet newspaper.

The case was widely seen as important to media freedom, with Cumhuriyet one of few remaining independent publications¹⁰.

In July, Turkey's Constitutional court ruled in support of hundreds of university professors and other academics. They were also held on terrorism charges. They had signed a petition¹¹ calling for an end to fighting between the Turkish government and Kurdish separatists. The court ruled their freedom of expression was violated¹².

Onur Oncu says he is counting on the power of the internet to resist the government’s control.

"They are attempting to block, but there is an alternative. When they shut down our website, we start broadcasting by phones," he said.

"Unless they cut the cord¹³ for the internet, there could always be alternatives: YouTube, for example. It could be VINE¹⁴ or Facebook. I mean, there are many alternatives available, so I don't think they can cope⁴ with this," he added.

Words In This Story

platform – n. something that allows someone to tell a large number of people about an idea, product

portal – n. a Web site that helps you find other sites

journalism – n. the activity or job of collecting, writing, and editing¹⁵ news stories for newspapers, magazines, television, or radio

source – n. someone or something that provides what is wanted or needed

petition – n. a written document that people sign to show that they want a person or organization to do or change something

alternative – n. other options available

1 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

2 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。

3 journalism   

n.新闻工作，报业

参考例句：

• He's a teacher but he does some journalism on the side.他是教师，可还兼职做一些新闻工作。
• He had an aptitude for journalism.他有从事新闻工作的才能。

4 cope   

v.(with)竞争，对抗；对付，妥善处理

参考例句：

• He had a lot of work,but he was able to cope.他的活虽多，但还能应付得来。
• They have to cope with a mountain of problems.他们得应付成堆的问题。

5 freely   

adv.自由地，随便地，无拘无束地

参考例句：

• She was unable to keep back her tears,and wept freely.她抑制不住泪水，痛痛快快地哭了起来。
• A liquid flows freely and has no fixed shape.液体能自由流动，无固定形态。

6 dismissed   

v.解雇( dismiss的过去式和过去分词 )；（使击球员或球队）退场；使退去；驳回

参考例句：

• Vegetarians are no longer dismissed as cranks. 素食者不再被视为有怪癖的人。
• He was dismissed for incompetence. 他因不称职而被解雇。

7 authorities   

n.当局，权力，权威；权威( authority的名词复数 )；权力；学术权威；[复数]当权者

参考例句：

• They interceded with the authorities on behalf of the detainees. 他们为被拘留者向当局求情。
• At his instigation we conceal the fact from the authorities. 我们受他的怂恿向当局隐瞒了事实。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 release   

vt.发布，发表，发行；释放，放开

参考例句：

• After my examination I had a feeling of release.考完试后我有如释重负之感。
• This medicine will give you release from pain.这药吃后会解除你的疼痛。

9 jailed   

监禁，拘留( jail的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was jailed for life for murder. 他因杀人罪被终生监禁。
• The kidnappers had threatened to behead all four unless their jailed comrades were released. 帮匪们曾经威胁说如果印度方面不释放他们的同伙，他们就要将这四名人质全部斩首。

10 publications   

n.发表( publication的名词复数 )；公布；出版；出版物

参考例句：

• The related publications are far too numerous to list individually. 相关出版物太多，没法一一列举。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request. 我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 petition   

n.请愿书，申请书，诉状；v.请愿，正式请求

参考例句：

• Thousands of citizens subscribed the petition.几千名公民在请愿书上签名。
• The number of signers of the petition for a new school snowballed.要求增设新学校而签名的人像滚雪球似的越来越多。

12 violated   

亵渎( violate的过去式和过去分词 )； 违反； 侵犯； 强奸

参考例句：

• Note that thick, strong angles of tibia are not violated. 注意肥厚、结实的胫骨成角部分未受损坏。
• The soldiers violated the church by using it as a stable. 士兵们把教堂当马厩，亵渎了教堂。

13 cord   

n.绳，线；纺织品；小电线；腱

参考例句：

• I wear a safety cord all the time.我一直带着安全绳索。
• I pulled the cord,and I felt a strong jerk.拉住绳索，我强烈的恐惧。

14 vine   

n.葡萄树；蔓；藤

参考例句：

• The vine twines round the tree.这藤盘绕在树干上。
• There is a vine yard before the hill.山前有一个葡萄园。

15 editing   

adj.编辑的

参考例句：

• The processing of data in random order,not subject to preliminary editing or sorting.未经预先编辑或分类，以任意次序对数据进行的处理的做法。