Turkey - which shut down Twitter, blocked YouTube, jailed journalists & bloggers - hosts UN open internet forum

From September 2-5, 2014 Turkey is hosting the ninth annual meeting of the United Nations-backed Internet Governance Forum (IGF). The forum is supposed to discuss key issues "that could affect every Internet user today and tomorrow."

Maybe they should start with the host. Earlier this year Turkey had shut down Twitter, blocked YouTube, and jailed journalists and bloggers. Amnesty International reports on September 2, 2014: "Twenty-nine Twitter users are being tried in Izmir, Turkey, and face up to three years in jail for posting tweets during last year's protests that the authorities claim "incite the public to break the law". None of the tweets contained any incitement to violence....Three users have been additionally charged with 'insulting' the Prime Minister."

During peaceful demonstrations against the scheduled Gezi Park demolition in Istanbul in June 2013 President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called Twitter a "menace to society."

VOA News reports: "Turkey has a very poor record of protecting free expression online, with tens of thousands of websites being blocked under legislation passed in 2007. Internet controls were further tightened in February this year...The U.N. insists the choice of Turkey was normal, as it has rotated between all member nations. Assistant Secretary-General Thomas Gaas defended the Istanbul venue at Tuesday's press conference. 'The United Nations works to promote an in-depth discussion of an open, free Internet and we believe this discussion has to take place; it is good that this discussion is taking place here,' said Gaas."

No changes in Turkey are expected on the "menace to society" following what is in effect the UN's vote of confidence in its host's behavior.