US: Restrictive internet law may harm business, investment in Turkey

A newly-signed bill that would give the Turkish government the ability to block websites without a court order has raised the concerns of the US and Europe, who insist it reflects a crackdown on free speech. "We share the serious concerns raised by the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) and others that the law has the potential to severely restrict free expression, freedom of the press and access to information over the Internet," said State Department Deputy Spokesperson Marie Harf on Wednesday. "We also believe that the law could negatively impact Turkey's business and investment climate." Turkey's President Abdullah Gul ushered in the legislation on Tuesday, despite posting a Twitter message earlier saying he recognized people's concerns. A web campaign quickly took off, encouraging users to "unfollow" Gul's account. Some 90,000 people have done so in the past 24 hours. "We are looking to Turkey during this process to uphold the fundamental freedoms that really underscore why we're concerned about this legislation," stressed Harf. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a major proponent of the law, said it is designed only to curb "immorality" and "blackmail" online.