Crazy Travel Story: experiencing blocked Internet in Turkey

blocked Internet in Turkey Antalya Travelblog JoyDellaVita

And another Year has come to an End. Let’s make this a Tradition, at each End of the Year, I’m sharing a Crazy Travel Story from the past Year with you. In 2015 it was about a driverless police motorcycle accident in Italy. Just by writing 2015 if already feels so long ago, crazy! As I shared yesterday, in 2016 I travelled further and more than ever before. From Australia to the North Cape in northern Europe, from several Trips to Barcelona to exploring more of Italy. This Year I want to share the experience of blocked Internet in Turkey.

Having no Internet might seem a bit too ‘internet-addicted’ to some of you, sure, I get you, but actually it’s no joke. This summer I went on a Press Trip to Antalya, to explore the City and the super astonishing historic sights in the backcountry. I definitely need to go back to visit the other Archaeological sites in Pamphylia. To extend the Trip I stayed in Turkey for a total of 1 week, with two nights in Side, three at a Beach Resort and another two in the City Centre of Antalya. The Evening before I left the Resort to move to my third Hotel in Antalya, the Istanbul Airport Attacks were perpetrated. I immediately watched Turkish TV and CNN, but mostly CNN to understand what’s going on. Simultaneously I checked for News on Twitter. For sure I received multiple questions if everything is fine where I am, and honestly, I already thought about a way to ‘escape’ Turkey again without having to fly (it would have been via ship to the Greece part of Cyprus – considering there is no operated line service it was just an idea..).

Nevertheless, It was a strange feeling on June 28th, to be alone in a Country under terrorist attacks. What, if ‘they’ chose another Airport each day? Tourism is an important income all over Turkey, the Airport of Antalya would have been ‘perfect’ to harm the Tourists and to frighten any future Tourists. On the morning of June 29th I woke up and checked my Phone again. I already wondered if something was not right from my side, as I could not access Twitter for News, not check Facebook nor reply to Facebook Messages. But WhatsApp was working. I still thought about a problem with my Hotels WiFi, until I searched the super super super slow Internet for what’s going on. I found this mashable Article , explaining the Turkish government blocked social media, multiple websites and in general slowed the Internet down. This was the moment I really felt a mix of beeing unsafe, but also not having access to knowledge (what the Internet also is to me) and news about what’s going on in this Country.
In Germany, my homeland, I could never imagine something like blocked internet by the government. Especially after something such minor happened. Blocking Internet, Social Media and News Sites is actually more harmful as it insecures people, and circumcised them in their rights. If something happens, people need knowledge about it, need to know more about the truth, not hear a polished version provided by a government.

For more Info on blocked Internet in Turkey, follow this Twitter Account: @TurkeyBlocks
https://mobile.twitter.com/TurkeyBlocks/status/812304670765056001

About

Outdoor Lifestyle Blogger Lisa JoyDellaVita

Lisa is a Blogger for more than a decade now, sharing her adventures exploring the world on JoyDellaVita, as well as excursions into the culinary world, sustainable choices, how to live a healthy active lifestyle but overall, how to enjoy a life full of joys.