Internet Enters 16th Year In Turkey With Problems

Non-governmental organizations working on IT related fields celebrate Internet's 16th birthday in Turkey with a series of events until 21 April.

Mustafa Akgül from IT NGOs Platform said that their aim is to make everyone think and discuss the Internet for coming two weeks. "Internet the conveyor of the information society. That's why governments around the world are trying to render their citizens Internet literate, enabling them to connect easily and cheaply, transforming their administrative process as to comply with the Internet."

Citing statistics, Akgül noted that there are approximately 30 million Internet users, 2.6 million computers in Turkey. "33 percent of our people frequently use the Internet while 65 percent have never had access. In rural areas, this rate rises to 80 percent of the population."

Akgül criticized that broadband access is still quite limited and relatively expensive in the country, e-state applications are not abound and there is a lack of educated workforce in the IT field.

Furthermore, censorship on Internet is still persistent in Turkey and Akgül said, "Turkey is waging a war on the World Wide Web; solely trying to create international law."  He proposes that a solution to this problem is only possible through collaboration of NGOs and the government.(EÜ/AGÜ)