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Turkey Restores Twitter Service After Government Blockade
(CTN NEWS) – According to the Netblocks internet observatory, Twitter access has been restored in Turkey due to discussions between the firm and Turkish authorities on content uploaded following this week’s significant earthquake.
Two days after the earthquake that hit the region and northern Syria and left thousands dead, access to Twitter was banned. This sparked protests from members of the political opposition, intellectuals, and activists.
Following hours of filtering, metrics show that access to Twitter is now being restored in Turkey, according to a tweet from NetBlocks.
Omer Fatih Sayan, Turkey’s deputy transportation and infrastructure minister reminded Twitter of its obligations and expressed expectations for collaboration in battling misinformation while earthquake relief efforts continue.
Syrian Civil Defense workers and security forces search through the wreckage of collapsed buildings after a devastating earthquake rocked Syria and Turkey, in Aleppo, Syria, Monday, Feb. 6, 2023. (AP)
Sayan stated on Twitter that his requests included “clear, robust cooperation on disinformation and false reports, fast action against bogus accounts and… actions against anything that could harm public order and security.”
Elon Musk, the CEO of Twitter, stated earlier on Wednesday that the Turkish government had assured his business that full access to the social media network would be restored “shortly” in that nation.
Musk posted on Twitter that the Turkish government had notified him that access would be restored “shortly,” although he didn’t elaborate on when.
A destroyed building in Antakya, southern Turkey, Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023. (AP Photo)
Since the earthquake, Turkish citizens have used Twitter to share information about family members they are unable to reach, reports of crumbling structures, and help coordination.
By Thursday morning, the Disaster Management Authority said that 12,391 deaths had been officially recorded in Turkey.
According to the government and a rescue team operating in the rebel-held northwest of Syria, the death toll has reached at least 2,950.
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