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Sunday, April 15, 2007

Turkey to block "insulting" websites and the EU

Turkey has for many years tried to join the EU, but their treatment of the Kurds and political repression has often prevented it from becoming a member. Indeed Turkey is quite different from the rest of Europe, if it is actually part of Europe at all, which is a matter of great debate between geographers and politicians. Needless to say Turkey's decision to block "insulting" websites is akin to China's censorship policies. If Turkey really wants to become a member of the EU, such actions must stop. Freedom of speech is one of the hallmarks of good democracy, and should not be curtailed. Still, Germany (a founding member of the EU) prohibits the display of Nazi symbols and Nazi paraphernalia, which is in its extreme form, a sort of "speech."

I don't agree with Nazism, nor do I agree with censorship. A free state should always allow its citizens to communicate openly and frequently, even if what they talk about is offensive to the state. Russia would do well to heed that lesson as well.

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