Earthquake in Turkey: Erdogan blocks Twitter to shut down protests

Turkey blocks Twitter again. To stem the discontent of the populations affected by the earthquake, the government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan has limited the use of the social network owned by Elon Musk on some of the main providers in the country, particularly used in these hours to share the anger of the inhabitants for the delay of the relief efforts.

In the last few hours the protests have become vibrant. So much so as to induce Erdogan himself to intervene on the issue: “It is time to be united, but unfortunately some people without honor are carrying out a defamatory campaign by spreading lies and saying they have not seen the police, military and gendarmerie. They are busy in Hatay 21,200 men,” the Turkish president said.

The reference is precisely to the controversy on Twitter. Several journalists who have Netblocks.org, a body that monitors internet governance, certified that access to Twitter has been restricted “through various Internet service providers in Turkey”.

“Turkey has a long history of restricting social networks during national emergencies and security incidents,” the organization added. Turkish police have arrested more than a dozen people since Monday’s quake over posts shared on social media. Post in which the Turkish president’s government was criticized for how it handled the delay.

Turkish social networks are flooded with messages from people complaining about the lack of relief and victim search efforts in their areas, particularly in Hatay.