Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the effect on Anglo–Turkish internet communications of the law passed on 10 September allowing the government of Turkey to block websites for up to four hours without authorisation by a court.

On 2 October, the Turkish Constitutional Court annulled provisions which had been introduced in September in the law on the internet, which had extended the Turkish government’s powers over the blocking of websites. The UK fully supports the EU’s efforts to encourage the Turkish government to ensure that any new internet legislation is implemented in line with EU standards and does not infringe on freedom of expression. We believe the internet and social media have vital roles to play in a modern democracy.