Turkey Lifts Ban on Google over Gruesome Images

The images showed Prosecutor Mehmet Selim Kiraz with a gun held to his head by a masked attacker after he was taken hostage.

Mr Kiraz, who headed an investigation into the 2013 death of a boy during anti-government protests, was apparently taken hostage by two men at a courtroom in Istanbul.  

On April 6, a Turkish court ordered the country's Internet providers to cut off access to YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and more than 160 other sites that were letting people share the controversial images.

LEGAL ACTION

Turkey had threatened to ban Google over the links leading to sites that had the gruesome images, saying that unless Google removes the links on Facebook, Twitter and Youtube the country will pursue legal action.

Turkish authorities briefly cut off several social networks in a bid to stop the images from circulating.

Mr Kiraz and the gunmen died in an ensuing shoot-out with police during an attempt to end the siege.

The two gunmen are thought to be members of the far-left DHKP-C Party.

On Monday evening, access to the three big social media sites had been restored after they sought out and removed copies of the image circulating on their networks.

By Musalia Wycliffe

Source: BBC News