Access to the online encyclopedia Wikipedia has been blocked in Turkey on Saturday after the website refused to cooperate with Turkey to remove fabricated content falsely associating the country with terror groups.
According to official sources, the internet watchdog Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) banned the website after it did not respond to any of the warnings by the government against the fabricated information aiming to display Turkey in cooperation with some terror groups.
The Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications said Saturday the site was blocked for "becoming an information source acting with groups conducting a smear campaign against Turkey in the international arena."
Officials have warned Wikipedia to remove content likening Turkey to terror groups but the site "persistently" failed to comply.
Turkey also requested Wikipedia to open a representative agency in the country, comply with the international law and pay taxes like other companies operating in the country.
The officials said the website will be operative once again after the country's demands are met.
The site has been blocked under a provisional administrative order without a court order but a monitoring group says an order is expected in the coming days.
The ban appeared to be in effect for all languages.
