18.11.2015
The President of the Information Technologies and Communication Authority, Dr. Ömer Fatih Sayan, met with Twitter Vice President Colin Crowell.
The Sayan-Crowell meeting, which took place at the BTK Building, lasted approximately 1 hour. BTK President Dr. Ömer Fatih Sayan stated that they had a beneficial meeting with Twitter Vice President Crowell. Sayan noted that the appointment of a Twitter Representative in Turkey was an important development and reiterated the demand for Twitter to open an office in Turkey.
Sayan said, “With its young and dynamic population structure, Turkey ranks among the countries where social media channels are used the most. Universal legal rules and Turkish legal rules must also apply on social media platforms. We conveyed our sensitivities on this matter during the meeting. We particularly drew attention to the importance of implementing decisions issued by Turkish judicial authorities. We emphasized that combating fake accounts opened on social media channels is important.”
Fight Against Terrorism
Sayan emphasized the importance of combating terrorism on virtual platforms, stating, “Social sharing sites like Twitter must not turn into platforms where terrorist organizations propagate. In this regard, all countries around the world need to cooperate and stand in solidarity with each other. We conveyed our sensitivities regarding the necessity that terrorist organizations active against Turkey on Twitter and the propaganda of terrorism should not be conducted.”
Sayan stated that cooperation regarding messages posted on Twitter following the terrorist attack in Ankara was important, and announced that they had reached an agreement on developing collaborations with Twitter in emergency situations. Sayan noted that information was shared about Twitter being used after the terrorist attack in France to inform citizens and warn them about areas to avoid, and that such collaborations could also be carried out with Turkey. Sayan expressed that collaborations between Turkey and Twitter were discussed on topics related to education, health, disasters, and emergencies.
Sayan emphasized the importance of blocking obscene content on social sharing sites, stating, “We conveyed that we are sensitive about protecting especially young people and children from harmful content on the internet and social media, and that we expect the same sensitivity from Twitter on this matter.”
The meeting was also attended by BTK International Relations Department Head Gazali Çiçek, Telecommunications Communication Presidency Internet Department Head Ahmet Kılıç, Access Providers Union General Secretary Bülent Kent, and Twitter Turkey Representative Emine Etili.
Respectfully announced to the public.
