Istanbul clashes over Turkey's new internet laws

Clashes arose in turkey between the riot police and the demonstrators as part of protesting against the new roles imposed by the government for the censorship over the internet. High pressured water and tear gas were used widely during the clashes, while the demonstrators were replying back by throwing stones and using fireworks as well. The main reason was that the Turkish parliament has just passed a pill that gives the government the right to block websites without seeking a court decision in advance. While the same bill forces internet users to store data on their internet activities for two years and make it available for the authority. However, what makes the situation even more complicated is that the president is under pressure for to ratify the legislation. The Prime Minister, Erdogan, has been very critical to the internet, especially to the social media websites. He claimed also that the legislation will make the internet more safe and free. While the opposition on the other side, says that it’s part of the government’s attempt to stifle a corruption scandal especially after the serious one that broke lately on December and was shared among the public through social media websites.

Written By,
Youssef Mekawy
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-26103295)