Turkish president approves disputed Internet law

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Turkish President Abdullah Gul has approved a controversial bill which critics said aims to increase government controls over the internet.

Gul announced on his Twitter account that he signed the legislation into law Tuesday after government officials stated that two disputed articles of the legislation would be amended.

The legislation, approved by Parliament earlier this month, allows the telecommunications authority to block websites for privacy violations without a court decision. It also forces Internet providers to keep records of users' activities for two years and make them available to authorities.

The EU, which Turkey hopes to join, had called the legislation "a step back" for media freedom. Gul said the government would submit amendments to the law to parliament on Wednesday.