What´s going on?

This page says it´s been lifted because a German company having the copyright of Atatürk videos have removed them from utube?? Whatta f*** is this?

it´s the Turkish government´s idea of democracy and freedom of speech

Right, but I was pointing out the fact that a German company have those videos that cause trouble in Turkie according to the current law (5651). Why do they have them? And why have they decided to remove them from utube?

That said, yeah if there is such a law, it is banned as aresult.

Law No. 5651 on Internet bans was enacted during the time the current government is in power and because the ruling party is the one with the numbers in Parliament to potentially change it. But they don´t it.

This also surprised me - until now I thought it were just some videos uploaded by someone (not by some company), like millions of others on youtube.

I think it´s a bit different, a quick Google search returned this site. From what I read there, I gather that a gwermany-based Turkish company found a legal right to claim ownership of all videos featuring Ataturk. To me it seems like they trademarked him ha ha. So, logically, if all that features Ataturk belongs to them, they have the right to order Youtube removing copyright content.

Having said that, I find the Turkish law protecting Ataturk against freedom of speech ridiculous. What if the USA passed a similarily idiotic law to protect its presidents i wonder if Turks would be appalled at every instance of violation of this law. I don´t understand why people have to have "heros" imposed on them. Atatur was a human being. Love him if you want to, others may laugh at him - they should have the right to do it.

Demanding respect for public figures or religions by means of law is ridiculous. People can have their opinion about everything and everyone and should be free to voice it.

Well, you may find it idiotic, but I don´t like the idea people would swear at our great leader and not punished for that. No thanks. That law will be there.

By the way that law is not about protesting but swearing at him for example and some other nasty stuff.

i take it you are also against your people swearing against other world leaders? Like George W Bush or Putin for example? You know some people consider them to be great leaders too. And it´s only because their countries do not have as idiotic law protecting them that Turks may swear at them on, among others,  Youtube site

Funny how things work one way, isn´t it?

I think we are talking about different things.

Yes there is a law for punishment of those who swear at Atatürk but utube ban is not based on that law. There is another law (Law No. 5651 on Internet bans) which we should be talking about. As I said earlier that law was enacted by the current political party in power.

Oh, I wouldn´t swear at anyone, that´s not my style. Ok, I might be guilty of an occassional "idiot" comment but I´d never call someone names. Still it doesn´t mean I never pass judgements. Quite contrary, if I don´t like something, I say it. The difference between name calling and criticising lies in the language and means used. My favourite way to get my point across is ridicule, it works better than swearing, which seems a bit too boorish.

I think some laws in Turkey are anti-democratic and certainly do nothing but ridicule the person they´re trying to protect. You know, real heroes protect themselves by living a life nobody can find a reason to criticise. Turning a regular human being into a godlike creature only makes them seem weak and pitiful. It´s amusing to see an 80 million country taught to love and respect the memory of a guy who had his faults like everyone else. There have been systems like this, ie 3rd Reich, Castro´s Cuba or Stalin´s Russia. In all of these countries "not loving the leader" was considered a coup d´etat. From a perspective, though, all "heroes" were as pitiful and ridiculous as the laws that protected them.

Again, hero´s memory protects itself. If it can´t then it´as not a hero, just a propaganda device...

What is amusing?? Atatürk is the founder of TR, he had affected the history of Turks, and of course Turks have love and respect for their leader, what is wrong with that? He is hero for Turks, and possibly not a hero for the nations whose aims tripped by him. In any society swearing is not welcomed, and may provoke people of that society if you are swearing to one who is respected. By the way numerous times I had witnessed that you are parroting the same thing that he was turned into godlike, and I will respond to you with the same argument, you are obsessed with the respect of Turks to Atatürk. Lastly check your description of hero dear, fits much like the definition of godlike...

Yes we have turned into a godlike creature and yeah he was an human but you know what? I don´t have any problem with his godlike status. If I live here where we call Turkiye today we all owe it to him. If he´s godlike so be it! What´s the problem with it for you when we don´t see it as a problem??