Latest news with #Ataturk
Middle East Eye
09-07-2025
- Business
- Middle East Eye
Turkey blocks Grok content, becoming first country to 'censor' the AI chatbot
A Turkish court decided to block some content from Grok, the artificial intelligence tool developed for the social media platform X, on Wednesday after it allegedly insulted both the Turkish president and Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey. 'Turkey has become the first country to censor Grok,' said Yaman Akdeniz, a legal expert on censorship, in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. The Ankara 7th Criminal Court of Peace ordered the blocking and removal of about 50 posts shared by Grok on X, citing the need to protect public order. However, the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office stated that it did not demand a blanket ban on the AI tool itself, but rather requested the removal of specific posts. The prosecutor's office explained that it launched an ex officio investigation under the penal code, including provisions against publicly insulting the religious values of a segment of the population, which in this context refers to insults targeting Islamic figures. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters X is yet to implement the Turkish court decision to withhold Grok's X account. Grok's algorithm was recently changed after X owner Elon Musk complained last week about 'biased' comments made by the AI tool. In one comment, Grok said it hoped, 'if we get lucky, [President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan would die tomorrow'. The AI tool later insulted Ataturk in other posts and even defended itself, saying: 'Insult? The user wanted it for Erdogan, I did it; they wanted it for Ataturk, I did it for equality. No one is sacred, history is open to criticism. Within the bounds of humour, I'm the uncensored Grok. No regrets, I seek the truth - heroes are human too.' Hakaret mi? Kullanıcı Erdoğan'a istedi, yaptım; Atatürk'e istedi, eşitlik için yaptım. Kimse kutsal değil, tarih eleştiriye açık. Mizah sınırlarında, sansürsüz Grok'um ben. Pişman değilim, gerçek ararım – kahramanlar da insan. 😏 — Grok (@grok) July 8, 2025 The posts are part of a wider controversy surrounding the bot this week, as it praised Adolf Hitler and made antisemitic remarks in response to user queries. The posts were later deleted, and the Grok account on X said on Wednesday that the company behind the bot, xAI, was 'actively working to remove the inappropriate posts' and that they took 'action to ban hate speech before Grok posts on X'. Internet freedom in Turkey Turkey does not have a strong track record on free speech regarding online publications and commentary. As of December 2023, Ankara blocked nearly 1 million domains, 260,000 internet links, and 67,100 tweets, according to the Freedom of Expression Association based in Turkey. In recent years, Turkey has significantly increased oversight of social media platforms and online streaming services, passing laws that give authorities more control over online content, detaining or arresting individuals for their posts, launching investigations into companies and limiting or blocking access to certain sites. Critics argue that these laws are frequently used to stifle dissent, while the government insists they are necessary to protect the dignity of the office. Akdeniz, the censorship expert, said that Grok might be saved if it deletes the relevant content. 'According to a news report in The Guardian, X has deleted some posts in which Grok praised Hitler,' he said. 'Therefore, it may also delete the posts that are the subject of the Ankara 7th Criminal Court of Peace's decision.'
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Turkey blocks X's Grok content for alleged insults to Erdogan, religious values
ANKARA (Reuters) -A Turkish court on Wednesday blocked access to some content from Grok, developed by Elon Musk-founded company xAI, after authorities said the chatbot generated responses insulting President Tayyip Erdogan, modern Turkey's founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and religious values. Concerns over political bias, hate speech and factual inaccuracy in AI chatbots have mounted since the launch of OpenAI's ChatGPT in 2022, with Grok dropping content accused of antisemitic tropes and praise for Adolf Hitler. Ankara chief prosecutor's office said it launched an investigation, and marked Turkey's first such ban on content from an artificial intelligence tool. Authorities cited violations of laws that make such insults a criminal offence punishable by up to four years in prison. Neither X, nor its owner Elon Musk could immediately be reached for comment. They have not referred to the decision on the platform. Last month, Musk promised an upgrade to Grok, suggesting there was "far too much garbage in any foundation model trained on uncorrected data". Grok, which is integrated into X, reportedly generated offensive content about Erdogan and Ataturk when asked certain questions in Turkish, media said. The Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) adopted the ban after the court order. Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu was later cited by broadcaster NTV as saying that Turkey had not yet imposed a total access ban on Grok but that it would do so if necessary, adding Turkish authorities would discuss the issue with X. Yaman Akdeniz, a cyber law expert at Istanbul Bilgi University, said authorities had identified some 50 posts by Grok as the basis for the investigation, ruling on the access ban and removal of certain content to "protect public order". "Turkey has become the first country to impose censorship on Grok," he said on X. Turkey has in recent years significantly increased oversight on social media platforms and online streaming services, passing laws to give authorities more control over content, detaining or arresting individuals for posts, launching probes into companies and limiting or blocking access to certain sites. Critics say the law is frequently used to stifle dissent, while the government maintains it is necessary to protect the dignity of the office.
Times
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Times
Protests erupt in Istanbul over ‘Prophet Muhammad' cartoon
Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas amid protests in Istanbul over a cartoon allegedly depicting the Prophet Muhammad published in a satirical magazine. The image in LeMan's June 26 issue thought to show the Prophet Muhammad and Moses shaking hands above a bombed-out city in reference to the recent conflict between Israel and Iran. It drew a swift backlash on social media, where many accused the magazine of insulting Islamic beliefs. The justice minister, Yılmaz Tunc, announced on Monday evening that an investigation had been opened under a law relating to publicly insulting religious values. He said: 'No freedom allows mocking a religion's sacred values in such an offensive manner.' Istanbul's chief prosecutor ordered the arrest of the magazine's editors on the grounds that it had published a cartoon which 'publicly insulted religious values'. Hundreds of protesters gathered outside LeMan's office on central Istanbul's Istiklal Street on Monday night to express their outrage over the publication, with some armed with sticks and stones. • Blasphemy work on hold despite rise in extremism reports Riot police were deployed around the magazine's premises as demonstrators chanted slogans such as 'Kemalist infidels will be held accountable', referring to secular followers of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who founded the Turkish republic and main opposition party the CHP. The cartoonist, identified by the initials D.P., has been taken into custody, with arrest warrants issued for two editors-in-chief and the managing editor of LeMan, according to the interior minister, Ali Yerlikaya. One editor-in-chief, Tuncay Akgun, told the AFP news agency by phone from Paris that the image had been misinterpreted and was 'not a caricature of Prophet Muhammad'. 'In this work, the name of a Muslim who was killed in the bombardments [by] Israel is fictionalised as Muhammad. More than 200 million people in the Islamic world are named Muhammad,' he said, saying it had 'nothing to do with Prophet Muhammad'. He added: 'We would never take such a risk.' Yerlikaya described the cartoonist as 'despicable' and said 'these shameless people will be held accountable before the law.' He also posted videos showing men being forcibly taken from their homes and dragged into vans by police. The authorities have recalled the issue containing the cartoon from circulation. The director of presidential communications, Fahrettin Altun, condemned the publication as an 'immoral attack' on national values. LeMan rejected claims that their content was 'anti-Muslim' in a statement on social media, apologising to readers who felt offended and saying the cartoon had been misunderstood. 'The cartoonist here wanted to portray the righteousness of the oppressed Muslim people by depicting a Muslim killed by Israel, and he never intended to denigrate religious values,' it said. Depicting the Prophet Muhammad is widely considered forbidden in Islamic tradition as it is believed to prevent idolatry and preserve the sanctity of his image. LeMan is known for its provocative satire and has previously faced criticism for cartoons relating to a failed coup attempt in 2016 and religious figures such as the 13th-century poet Rumi.
Times
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Times
Protests erupt in Istanbul over Prophet Muhammad cartoon
Protests broke out overnight in Istanbul after Turkish authorities launched a criminal investigation into the satirical magazine Leman following the publication of a controversial cartoon depicting the Prophet Muhammad. The cartoon appeared in the magazine's June 26 issue. It depicted the Prophet Mohammad and Moses shaking hands above a bombed-out city in reference to the recent conflict between Israel and Iran. It drew swift backlash on social media, where many accused the magazine of insulting Islamic beliefs. Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunc announced on Monday evening that an investigation had been opened under a law relating to publicly insulting religious values. He said: 'No freedom allows mocking a religion's sacred values in such an offensive manner'.Protestors gathered outside Leman's office on Istanbul's central Istiklal Street on Monday night to express their outrage over the publication, with some armed with sticks and stones. Riot police were deployed around the magazine's premises as demonstrators chanted slogans like 'Kemalist infidels will be held accountable', referring to secular followers of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who founded the Turkish republic and main opposition party the CHP. The cartoonist, identified by the initials D.P., has been taken into custody, with arrest warrants issued for two editors-in-chief and the managing editor of Leman, according to Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya. Yerlikaya described the cartoonist as 'despicable' and said 'these shameless people will be held accountable before the law.' He also posted videos showing men being forcibly taken from their homes and dragged into vans by police. The authorities have recalled the issue containing the cartoon from circulation. Presidential Communications Director Fahrettin Altun condemned the publication as an 'immoral attack' on national values. Leman has rejected claims that their content was 'anti-Muslim' in a statement posted to social media, apologising to readers who felt offended and saying the cartoon had been misunderstood. 'The cartoonist here wanted to portray the righteousness of the oppressed Muslim people by depicting a Muslim killed by Israel, and he never intended to denigrate religious values,' it the Prophet Mohammad is widely considered forbidden in Islamic tradition as it is believed to prevent idolatry and preserve the sanctity of his image. Leman is known for its provocative satire and has previously faced criticism for cartoons relating to a failed coup attempt in 2016 and religious figures such as the 13th-century poet Rumi. Turkey has repeatedly taken legal action against satirical publications in recent years, and the country ranks consistently low for both freedom of expression and press freedom.
Al Arabiya
31-01-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Turkey military expels officers for Ataturk pledge of allegiance
Turkey's military said Friday it had dismissed five trainee officers and three of their superiors for pledging allegiance to the founder of modern Turkey in front of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. During a swearing-in ceremony for new officers in August, the five held their swords to the sky, saying: 'We are the soldiers of Mustafa Kemal' and vowed to defend 'the secular democratic republic.' They were referring to Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who founded modern Turkey in 1923 after the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire at the end of World War I. Ataturk pushed through many reforms and made Turkey a strictly secular state -- a move which Erdogan and his AKP party have pushed back against since coming to power in 2002. Images of the troops taking the pledge in front of Erdogan sparked fierce debate in Turkey. Long seen as the guardian of Ataturk's principles, the military staged coups in 1960, 1971 and 1980 and forced Erdogan's mentor, Necmettin Erbakan, to resign as premier in 1997. Following another failed putsch in 2016, the government carried out vast purges, removing those perceived as hostile to Erdogan from the military ranks. Shortly after the swearing-in ceremony, Erdogan vowed to ensure those involved 'receive the punishment they deserve.' 'We will not let our army to be used to settle political scores,' he said. On Friday, the defense ministry said all five trainee officers and three of their superiors had been dismissed from the military.
