Turkey lifts ban on Wikipedia after court ruling

Access to the website was restored once the ruling, passed by a 10-to-six majority in the court, was conveyed to the telecommunications watchdog.

FILE IMAGE: Turkish officials said at the time the measure was needed as Wikipedia had failed to remove content deemed false from its pages that linked Turkey with terror groups.
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FILE IMAGE: Turkish officials said at the time the measure was needed as Wikipedia had failed to remove content deemed false from its pages that linked Turkey with terror groups.

Turkey removed the ban on the online encyclopedia Wikipedia after the official publication on Wednesday of a Constitutional Court ruling that more than two-year block was a violation of freedom of expression.

The website was banned in April 2017 due to entries that accused Turkey of having links to terrorist organisations.

Access to the website was restored once the ruling, passed by a 10-to-six majority in the court, was conveyed to the telecommunications watchdog.

But many users said the website was still inaccessible on Wednesday though it was expected to be gradually unblocked nationwide.

Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit organisation that hosts Wikipedia, had applied to Turkey's highest court to challenge the block. 

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