TURKEY: YouTube banned, again, over sex-scandal video

Turkey has reimposed a ban on YouTube after the site refused to remove footage linked to a political sex scandal that erupted earlier this year.

The ban was reinstated just days after being lifted following a similar disagreement over videos, deemed illegal by authorities, that make fun of Turkey's founding figure Mustafa Kamel Ataturk.

By Thursday, it appeared Turkey had blocked YouTube once again. The footage in question shows Turkey's main former opposition leader, Deniz Baykal, meeting a female staffer in a hotel room for a romantic tryst. Baykal resigned in May after the video surfaced.

Watch part of the footage here.

-- Meris Lutz in Beirut

Image: Screen shot of footage showing opposition leader Daniz Baykal meeting a female staffer in a hotel room. Credit: YouTube

Comments

[Natalie - Turkish Travel Blog]

I am in Turkey and still can access You Tube after the ban was lifted. This story has appeared everywhere but not sure where it came from.

[eternally]

Umm....YouTube is still available in Turkey. it might have been banned momentarily, but we are using it here in Istanbul, no problem.

[PinarD]

Actually it is not true. I am in Turkey now and ı can login any Youtube video here. It is not banned. Please re-check your sources.

[Onboard Skeptic]

"Good job to Turkey"(from Turkjack).

Now please admit your full responsibility for the Armenian Genocide and you'll win even more points in my book.

[Tolga]

The ban is another shortsighted decision. In fact, I did a lookup of the user OfficialMadTube per the screenshot and it shows that that account was suspended. I hope it is not too long before YouTube is back in Turkey, per this observation. I go there once yearly and hope to be able to access the popular video sharing site as soon as I return there.

[sam]

all over the world we have various so called sex scandals,mainly so that people can get in the news either for money or to try and re light a failed career,and so on its old hat,the public do of course view people in pubic office with a lot more scrutiny,but at the end of the day this man is only human just like the lady he went to meet,its hardly a hanging offence.
oh sorry mr daniz baykal i spoke too soon. thank you.

[TurkJack]

I don't see what is wrong with Turkey's decision; the said video is a violation of the privacy of the said person, who had to quit office because of the very video. Plus, given the explicit scenes, it is a violation of Youtube's own rules. The problem is not with Turkey; it is with Youtube forcing Turkey to behave that way. Youtube would have already removed the videos if it was the US courts that asked them to do so. But when it comes to other countries, they don't. Some of these countries are too weak to show their teeth, and Turkey show the teeth when needed.

Good job to Turkey!

[socalmaverick]

to Evad: I guess I'd rather live in a third world country with high moral standards where such garbage is not permitted, rather than live in a country where it is famous for sex trafficking and the killing of women, children and peace activist in international waters.

[Evad the Slayer]

Nothing like living in a 3rd world nation. And the EC is thinking of letting these jokers join? LOL