Calis Beach and Fethiye Turkey Discussion Forum
General Topics => Computer Problems & Questions, Virus/Scam Warnings => Topic started by: JohnF on March 27, 2014, 13:50:44 PM
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In preparation for an AK party landslide (only joking... I hope!) here is one method for bypassing TTNet filters. How long it'll work for in the event of a full block on social media & VPNs, I'm not sure. It has limitations which the government may utilise to block traffic, but its a start.
Download Tor Browser (https://www.torproject.org) and install - Windows, iOS and Linux versions available. Initially, just use the default settings.
Extensive FAQ (https://www.torproject.org/docs/faq.html.en) available, and in the event you do find it useful, a donation (https://www.torproject.org/donate/donate.html.en) helps the project carry on.
JF
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Thanks John
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Looks like YouTube is now on the sh1tlist. Use the above method and request that YouTube use HTML5 when you visit - link here (https://www.youtube.com/html5). Unfortunately Tor has issues with Flash movies due to security concerns.
JF
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On today's news Turkey block U Tube,
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Downloaded thanks.
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For those who prefer Google Chrome, you can try using the Zenmate (https://zenmate.com/) extension. I havent tested it for YouTube as I'm not in TR yet so when the YT ban kicks in, as it will over the next 24hrs maybe someone (tech savvy?) can have a go and let us know the results.
I haven't bothered posting the various DNS workarounds, there's plenty of info out there on them but I'm not sure how long they'll work for.
JF
Edit: Apparently works for Opera also, but again, haven't tested it.
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Safari cannot download this?
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John I hope you don't mind but I have copied this to my FB page so friends not on CBF can hopefully get round it too.
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Nope. Its a Google Chrome or Opera only extension. Version of Tor Browser for iOS though, just not as handy for YT.
JF
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John I hope you don't mind but I have copied this to my FB page so friends not on CBF can hopefully get round it too.
No problem.
I've just been told that Tor is now being blocked, anyone fancy giving it a try and confirming?
Opera users: Download latest version and under settings click on "off road mode". This uses Opera's resources rather than local and is how a lot of folks get round the ISP blocking of PB, KAT etc in the UK.
My earlier predictions of this becoming a cyber game of cat and mouse looks to be coming true. Not good.
JF
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I think they may be blocking the Zenmate site unable to get site via TTNET direct. Tried it via my VPN and I was able to load the 'app' to my Chrome.
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Just got on youtube with I E, am I just lucky?
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Ditto got Zenmate extension but can't sign in. However using VPN I am getting YTube.
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Dangerous times if you read the full article - sounds like war is a useful distraction tactic:
Turkey moves to block YouTube access http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-26773702
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John, one of Tinxs friends has accessed YouTube via Tor.
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And now she can't...
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The usual VPN still works for both Twitter & now U Tube. Are they likely to block these monthly paid services?
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A little bit of irony! The person who is trying albeit it not very successfully to stop people having a voice is losing his! Literally! :)
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The usual VPN still works for both Twitter & now U Tube. Are they likely to block these monthly paid services?
Maybe. Do you have a fixed IP (does your IP change every time you log on or is it the same) or is it dynamically allocated?
JF
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The usual VPN still works for both Twitter & now U Tube. Are they likely to block these monthly paid services?
Maybe. Do you have a fixed IP (does your IP change every time you log on or is it the same) or is it dynamically allocated?
JF
I really don't know, I think it's dynamically allocated, but how do I tell?
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Thanks a million JohnF :)
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The usual VPN still works for both Twitter & now U Tube. Are they likely to block these monthly paid services?
Maybe. Do you have a fixed IP (does your IP change every time you log on or is it the same) or is it dynamically allocated?
JF
I really don't know, I think it's dynamically allocated, but how do I tell?
Log in to your VPN and then visit Check My Ip (http://www.whatismyip.com/), take a note of the IP address and next time you log in, go there again and see if it is the same. If it is, then its likely you have a static IP address and if not, its dynamically allocated (different IP assigned each time you connect).
In simple terms, if they are logging VPN connections then static IP's will be easier to block. However, they may just decide to block whole ranges of IP's in order to close down private VPNs. Hopefully, it wont come to that - however they do have both the power and technology available so who knows...
JF
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And now she can't...
She should now, Tor is still up... so I've been informed.
JF
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Here are some free VPNs for those who may need them. I havent tested them all so feel free to have a play and report back:
Hotspot shield http://www.hotspotshield.com/ (http://www.hotspotshield.com/)
Private tunnel https://www.privatetunnel.com/ (https://www.privatetunnel.com/)
Cyberghost http://cyberghostvpn.com/ (http://cyberghostvpn.com/)
Tunnelbear https://www.tunnelbear.com/ (https://www.tunnelbear.com/)
Spotflux http://www.spotflux.com/ (http://www.spotflux.com/)
Also, feel free to add any to the list.
JF
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Thank you JohnF I downloaded tunnel bear and it is working a treat. Time to cancel my subs to another VPN if it carries on.
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I've just downloaded Zenmate and it seems to be working.
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Both Tor and Zenmate working today. Word is Facebook shortly to join the sh1tlist - personally i reckon that's a bonus to come out of this situation!
JF
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Why would they wait until now to take down FB?
Is it because they expect trouble after they fix the result win tomorrow and want to try and stop people organising. Like that's worked already.
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They'd close down the whole fecking internet if they could get away with it. Instead they simply stifle what they can, throw journalists in jail and take away (illegally) media outlets licences.
JF
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I suppose it just goes to show they are running scared - roll on tomorrow night.
I am eagerly awaiting the results in Istanbul and Ankara.
I expect you have already seen this
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2014/03/turkey-road-democratic-future-20143247316702394
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It's a hugely important day
I shall be glued to the tv later and keeping everything crossed.
Now there's an image!
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Just tried your link Nichola but could not access it here in U.K. I am not at all technically minded, so not sure if it is my computer, or if it has been locked. Best of luck to you all today and I really do hope that all your dreams do come true. :)
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It seems to be working ok here, maybe try again. The comments below are a bit of an eye opener!
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2014/03/turkey-road-democratic-future-20143247316702394
Looks like the expat shield I have been using is unable to connect now - it's been a couple of days since I used it and as I have only used this just recently I don't know if this inability to connect to the server is something normal or because it is now blocked and down.
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I generally use Opera which I thought was more "liberal" but your link does not work, but does on MSE - odd!
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It works on my laptop using Chrome and also on my ipad. I can't understand why it doesn't work. Anyway here is the text for those interested.
Turkey: The road to a democratic future
The upcoming local elections on March 30 will be a defining moment in Turkish democratic history.
The local elections on March 30 will possibly be one of the most defining moments of Turkish democracy. Ideologies or party platforms will largely be irrelevant. In 1961, the Turkish electorate voted for the Justice Party, making a statement in favour of the democratic process and in protest of military intervention a year before.
In 1983, Turgut Ozal was the choice of the electorate not because of the appeal of his party platform but because he represented civilian democracy vis-a-vis the candidates handpicked by the military government. In 2007, the incumbent Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his AKP (Justice and Development Party) scored a resounding electoral victory with 47 percent of the votes cast from a broad ideological spectrum.
The electorate had spoken loud and clear: Extra-democratic interventions were not welcome, as evidenced by the presidential elections a few months earlier. Similarly, the upcoming elections will not feature a pageantry of ideologies, platforms, or projects. Rather, they will feature a fundamental choice between democratic ideals and accountability on one hand, and democratic dictatorship and corruption on the other.
What's at stake for the AKP?
In the wake of the rampant corruption allegations publicised on December 17, the AKP was quick to highlight its legitimacy and freedom from corruption when it received 50 percent of the votes. The party leadership utilised their virtual control over all state institutions to thwart two investigation attempts by state prosecutors. Hundreds of prosecutors were reassigned, thousands of police officers were reshuffled, and several pieces of legislation were passed to ensure that investigations could not proceed and the judicial branch was subordinated to the executive branch. In effect, the AKP ensured that the pursuit of judicial accountability was a dead end.
Simultaneously, Erdogan consistently stuck to his narrative about this whole episode being part of a grand conspiracy against him and his party. The party's electoral popularity, as evidenced by public opinion polls until December 17, provided him with an egress: the local elections on March 30. If the AKP could maintain 40-50 percent support by winning major cities like Istanbul and Ankara, the party could boast that they are "cleared" of the corruption charges because the people continued to support the party.
If the AKP can maintain its support level in the 40-50 percent range by winning major cities like Istanbul and Ankara, the party could boast that they are 'cleared' of the corruption charges because the people continued to support the party...
What's at stake for the opposition?
The opposition is betting on the same calculation. It has become sufficiently evident that judicial accountability will not materialise unless the AKP is brought to its senses. The AKP's infatuation with its successive electoral victories and popularity has created an aura of invincibility and infallibility. It is this feeling of invincibility that must be brought down first, if judicial accountability is to materialise at all. Hence, the opposition's primary goal is to hold the AKP democratically accountable. Yet, chronically weak opposition parties like the center-left CHP (Republican People's Party) and the nationalist MHP (Nationalist Movement Party) offer little hope in the way of taking on the seemingly invincible AKP.
The opposition has devised an original solution to this apparent conundrum: strategic voting. Voters in each locality would support the strongest non-AKP candidate in the hope of defeating the AKP in most municipalities. For example, latest polls indicate that opposition groups are rallying behind CHP's candidates in Istanbul and Ankara (two strongholds for Islamic parties since 1994), where the possibility of losing both cities is significant in other major cities like Erzurum and Adana, opposition groups are rallying behind the MHP in order to protest the AKP. This strategy aims to achieve two goals.
Firstly, it will drive votes away from the AKP, essentially beating the party in its own (electoral popularity) game. Secondly, the party will suffer as many losses as possible in the number of municipalities won, which is another measure of success in local elections. In view of the fact that a sizeable proportion of the corruption allegations concerns zoning, construction, and public projects, cutting AKP's municipal control in major cities is an essential step for the opposition. Some recent polls suggest that AKP might not see 30 percent, a major defeat for a party whose popularity hovered around 50 percent until a few months ago.
Powerful media empire
Neither of these goals is a small feat. Erdogan has built a powerful media empire in recent years. Functioning like an expansive propaganda machine, such media control (along with Erdogan's direct intervention into the editorial policies of major independent television and newspaper media) allows the AKP to shape the public opinion, especially among conservative voters. An electoral win despite Erdogan's media control will be a remarkable achievement for the opposition and a major setback for AKP's future prospects. The opposition diligently uses Twitter and other social media to devise strategy and counter AKP-controlled media.
Specifically, the AKP stands to lose on three grounds with an electoral defeat on March 30. Firstly, Erdogan and his party will lose a key argument in their self-defence, i.e. the electorate will decide on the veracity of the corruption allegations.
Secondly, many AKP legislators who have no part in corruption schemes are currently on the fence; they are extremely unhappy with the state of the party but are awaiting a solid confirmation of the party's poor standing within the electorate. If the party suffers a significant loss, some suggest, these legislators will leave the party [TU] shortly after the elections. The number could be as high as 100, effectively ending AKP's parliamentary majority. Such a loss would inevitably pave the way for the removal of the party from the government and lead to judicial accountability.
Finally, the outcome of the March 30 elections will provide strong indicators about Erdogan's or the incumbent President Abdullah Gul's prospects. A defeat in local elections would essentially rule out another president from the AKP.
Turkish democracy generally has a good reputation for not being subject to electoral manipulation, vote buying, or vote rigging. However, recent reports indicate that this election might be different. Feeling the heat, the AKP might be tempted to sway the result. According to such reports, voters are offered cash for their votes, election officials are bribed for manipulating results, and dead people or those abroad are registered as voters.
The fact that the number of printed ballots is nearly three times higher than the number of registered voters raises eyebrows. Currently, many civil society organisations volunteer to monitor ballot boxes. Similarly, opposition parties who will have their own observers verify the transmission of results from each district to the High Election Commission's database. This will prevent manipulation as the votes are transferred from local districts to the centre.
The March 30 elections will define the soul of the Turkish political system for years, and possibly decades, to come. These local elections will be more consequential than the presidential election in August 2014 or the parliamentary elections in 2015. And, both the AKP and the opposition are fully aware of the potential repercussions of a defeat.
A Kadir Yildirim is an assistant professor at Furman University. His main research interests include economic liberalisation, democratisation, political Islam, politics of the Middle East and Turkish politics.
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera's editorial policy.
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I expect you have already seen this
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2014/03/turkey-road-democratic-future-20143247316702394
If that was meant for me, then yes, I read when it was published.
Aljazeera have gradually turned into a quality source for news - in their early days they were pretty crap with regurgitated content from reuters etc, but now appear to have good correspondents who also appear to have minds of their own. Cue them all being expelled from Turkey...
JF
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Yes it was John - Al Jazeera my favourite news channel :)
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My local pub in the UK now shows AJ instead of Sky news when we want updates on breaking news outside the UK. And also when showing live sports (BeIn) 8)
JF
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Its 3.49am in TR and right now there seems to be a complete block on internet traffic out of TR.
Zenmate, Tor etc are not working and our web site (hosted in UK data centre) is unavailable.
I think its a temporary block, but phuck me... isn't all so North Korean. I suspect this is a system test and the biggest irony is that it is a Swedish company who is assisting TurkTelecom. Last time I go to IKEA.
JF
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All opened up again, I think. Any early risers in TR able to post?
JF
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Good not so very early morning John :)
This posted not using Zenmate because CBF works better for me now via Firefox and just checked BBC iplayer via Chrome using Zenmate and that is all working too.
Scary stuff if they are bring the whole internet system down. Makes you wonder what is to come!
IKEA is dead expensive in Turkey anyway compared to the UK so nothing lost there by boycotting them ;)
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I don't know what they were doing but it seems to have been localised - speaking to folks this morning and Ankara was fine whereas Istanbul wasnt.
JF
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Friends of mine said theirs went off last night but they just went to bed and it was on in the morning 6ish.
The trouble here is there are always problems with internet connections and we probably wouldn't realise there was anything wrong, just business as normal!
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I think they are preparing for one of two outcomes.
We'll either see things return to normal(ish) service over the coming weeks with both Twitter and YouTube becoming freely available again or they are preparing for a more sophisticated clamp down on social media and other sites that do not follow the party line. It may well be a case of bye bye Facebook in Turkey as well.
Time will tell, not much anyone here can do to influence things.
JF
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Has anyone had a problem with Zenmate not connecting as of this evening?
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Mine is working ok at the moment.
WW
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Thanks WW - just popped back to say I've got it sorted now, seemed to be the wifi connection I was using. Changed it to another and it's working fine. Was a bit panicked as I've come to rely on it and thought it might finally be blocked.