Google owned YouTube has opened its Turkish website and agreed to operate under country’s Web domain, ‘com.tr’, giving Turkey tighter control over its content.
YouTube will be subject to local taxes and must work in accordance with Turkey’s content regulations.
Turkey transport and communications minister Binali Yildirim was quoted by Reuters saying that this is an important development.
"For a long time we have made a call to Internet firms in Turkey: ‘You are operating in this country, you must be resident here," Yildirim said.
"It will now be in a binding and critical position to implement court decisions and remove any objectionable publications."
In addition to Turkey, other countries having local domains with YouTube include France, Egypt, Indonesia, Peru, and Yemen
In May 2008, the government of Turkey blocked access to YouTube for 30 months after users posted videos which said to be casting aspersions against Turkey’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.
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The ban was lifted after the videos were removed in 2010.
Recently, a Turkish court issued an order allowing authorities to block YouTube after the site refused to remove the trailer of an anti Islamic movie called "Innocence of Muslims" which has sparked violence in Muslim countries.
YouTube had been blocked in Pakistan and Bangladesh after the site refused to remove the movie trailer.
