Turkey moves to block access to anti-Islam film

ANKARA - Anatolia News Agency

A Pakistani student holds a placard during a protest against the controversial film "Innocence of Muslims" in Islamabad on September 25, 2012. AFP photo

Transportation Minister Binali Yıldırım has instructed his ministry to launch yesterday legal procedures for removal of the anti-Islam movie from the Internet, according to a statement released by his website.

“We have launched legal procedures for removal of video content of infamous anti-Islam movie ‘Innocence of Muslims’ on specified URLs after the movie caused unrest both in Turkey and in the world as a production insulting Islam and the Muslims and carrying a provocative content,” the statement also said. EU Minister Egemen Bağış also criticized the film. “There is a double-standard involving the issue, Bağış said suggesting that countries patronizing Turkey for a lack of freedom of press were acting hypocritically. “I don’t call it a film, – [but] about the ‘rag.’ Some technical work has been carried out about access to this rag,” Bağış was quoted as saying by Anatolia news agency. He also criticized violent acts of protest that have developed in response to the movie.

However, Bağış did not make a clear statement on whether online access to the movie would be blocked in Turkey. A Lebanese court ruled on Sept. 23 to block Internet access to the movie.
ANKARA