Turkey has once again blocked access to YouTube for allegedly badmouthing the country's founding father Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

According to local news reports, anyone trying to access the site is getting a message in English and Turkish explaining it has been banned under a 17 January Ankara court order. Turkey last March pulled a similar stunt over another video insult to Ataturk. This was susbsequently removed, and order restored.

In September 2007, it once again rattled its sabre at YouTube, but AFP says a threatened ban was never implemented.

The latest clampdown, however, seems real enough. State-run Anatolia said officials from YouTube had "issued a statement saying the company hoped access would be re-established quickly". ®

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