,,iv  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,h4 ,,res4 #ecb  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of
 ,,representatives  ,april #a1 #bjad    
,ms4 ,eshoo 7for herself1 ,mr4 ,marino1 
,mr4 ,kennedy1 and ,mr4 ,keating7       
submitted the following resolution2     
which was referred to the ,committee on 
,foreign ,affairs  ,,resolution  ,calls 
on the ,government of ,turkey to allow  
free expression and ,internet freedom4  
,whereas an independent1 unfettered     
media and freedom of expression1        
including the ,internet and social      
media1 are essential elements of        
democratic1 transparent1 and open       
societies2 ,whereas millions of people  
in ,turkey1 including senior members of 
the ,government of ,turkey1 use the     
,internet and social media to           
communicate on a daily basis2 ,whereas  
the ,government of ,turkey imposed a    
countrywide ban on access to ,twitter on
 ,march #bj1 #bjad1 and to ,you,tube on 
,march #bg1 #bjad1 blocking the use of  
the communications platforms2 ,whereas  

respected nongovernmental organizations 
have condemned the decision to block    
,twitter and ,you,tube as an attack on  
,internet freedom and freedom of        
expression in ,turkey2 ,whereas ,twitter
 has been blocked in ,turkey1 ,china1   
,iran1 ,north ,korea1 and ,syria and    
,you,tube has been blocked in ,turkey1  
,china1 ,iran1 and ,pakistan2 ,whereas  
the ,turkish ,bar ,association argued   
that the ban on ,twitter is             
unconstitutional and in violation of    
,turkish and ,european human rights     
laws2 and ,whereas on ,march #bf1 #bjad1
 the ,turkish district court in ,ankara 
blocked implementation of the ban due to
 the restriction on freedom of          
expression and communication that are   
protected by the ,turkish ,constitution 
and the ,european ,convention of ,human 
,rights3 ,now1 therefore1 be it  ,that  
the ,house of ,representatives--  7#a7  
calls on the ,government of ,turkey to  
lift restrictions on freedom of the     
press1 freedom of expression1 and       

,internet freedom1 including social     
media1 in ,turkey2  7#b7 recognizes the 
critical role that technology and social
 media play in helping independent      
journalists and the general public to   
communicate1 access information1 and    
support accountability2 and  7#c7       
reaffirms the importance of ,internet   
freedom to promote democracy and good   
governance around the world4