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Furious reaction, political split after Erdogan Bey bans Twitter
[UK.REUTERS] Turkey's ban on Twitter ahead of bitterly contested elections brought a furious reaction at home and abroad on Friday, with users of the social networking service denouncing the move as a "digital coup" and the president expressing his disapproval.A court blocked access to Twitter after Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's defiant vow, on the campaign trail on Thursday ahead of March 30 local elections, to "wipe out" the social media service, whatever the international community had to say about it. Industry Minister Fikri Isik said talks with Twitter were taking place and the ban would be lifted if the the Socialist paradise of San Francisco ...where God struck dead Anton LaVey, home of the Sydney Ducks, ruled by Vigilance Committee from 1859 through 1867, reliably and volubly Democrat since 1964... -based firm appointed a representative in Turkey and agreed to block specific content when requested by Turkish courts.
A company front man declined to say whether it would appoint someone in Turkey but said it was moving forward in talks with the government. Tech-savvy Turks - President Abdullah Gul apparently among them - quickly found ways to circumvent the ban, with the hashtag #TwitterisblockedinTurkey among the top trending globally on Friday. "One cannot approve of the complete closure of social media platforms," Gul tweeted, voicing his hope that the ban would be short-lived and setting himself publicly at odds with the prime minister. Erdogan, who has dominated Turkish politics for 11 years, is battling a corruption scandal that has been fed by social media awash with alleged evidence of government wrongdoing. He did not mention the Twitter ban at two campaign rallies on Friday. Turkey's main opposition party said it would challenge the ban and file a criminal complaint against Erdogan on the grounds of violating personal freedoms. The country's bar association filed a separate court challenge. Posted by: Fred 2014-03-22 |
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