A vote in Turkey’s parliament to tighten government control over the internet has sparked condemnation at home and abroad.<br /><br />It will mean that telecommunications authorities can block web pages within hours, with no need for a prior court order, and it will allow individuals’ browsing histories to be stored for up to two years.<br /><br />As the EU expressed concern at the news, the opposition claimed it was part of efforts by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to stifle a corruption scandal.<br /><br />Some in Turkey fear Big Brother style surveillance if the law is given final approval by the president.<br /><br />“People won’t be able to make comments as they please,” said Istanbul resident Yilmaz Aslan. <br /><br />“Freedom will be limited. You were able to share via the Internet what you can’t say in person. But that it not possible anymore. Freedom has gone.”<br /><br />“It is damaging Turkey’s reputation, if we look at it from an international perspective,” added fellow Istanbul dweller Burak Orhan.<br /><br />“Turkey is becoming a more oppressive country. People’s freedoms are being limited.”<br /><br />Turkey already has strict internet laws under which thousands of websites have been blocked, from news portals viewed as close to Kurdish militants to gay dating sites.<br /><br />Social media sites have been awash with alleged <br />recordings of ministers including Prime Minister Erdogan and businessmen close to him, which are presented as evidence of wrongdoing. <br /><br />While their authenticity may be in doubt, Erdogan continues to reject corruption claims, saying they are part of an organised bid to undermine him.<br /><br />The scandal erupted in December with the arrest of businessmen close to Erdogan and three cabinet ministers’ sons.<br /><br />It has spiralled into one of the greatest threats to his 11-year rule, months ahead of local and presidential elections.<br /><br />His government has already purged the police and <br />judiciary, reassigning thousands of officers and dozens of prosecutors.
