Blocking of website angers Russian tourists in Turkey

ISTANBUL

DHA Photo

Russian tourists spending their vacation in Turkey have expressed anger at a Turkish decision to block Russia’s most popular social network, “vkontakte,” Doğan news agency reported.
 
The website, known as the Russian Facebook, has millions of users in Russia, but access to the website from Turkey has been banned since May 2.
 
The ban, enforced by the Istanbul Public Prosecutor, followed a copyright violation case regarding a pirate streaming of one of Turkish pop singer Tarkan's videos.
 
Frustrated Russian tourists have lodged hundreds of complaints since they discovered that they were not able to log onto their favorite websites, a hotel manager in Göynük in the southern province of Antalya told the press.
 
"vkontakte is a big deal in Russia and countries around Russia," the manager further said. "We are already having a rough season, and the ban makes it worse for us."
 
The head of Turkey's Hotels Federation asked government officials to reconsider the ban.