Twitter Back Online In Turkey After Agreeing To ‘Strong Cooperation’ On Tackling Earthquake-Related Disinformation

Topline

Turkey restored access to Twitter on Thursday after the platform was blocked a day earlier amid growing online criticism of the government’s response to the devastating earthquake that has claimed at least 16,000 lives in Turkey and neighboring Syria.

An aerial view of collapsed buildings as search and rescue efforts continue after 7.7 and 7.6 … [+] magnitude earthquakes hit multiple provinces of Turkiye including Malatya, Turkiye.

Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Key Facts

Online monitoring organization Netblocks, which had initially reported the blocking, confirmed that access to the platform had been restored by all major internet providers in Turkey.

Twitter CEO Elon Musk acknowledged the blocking on Wednesday and said his company had reached out to the Turkish government.

Musk later tweeted that Twitter had been “informed by the Turkish government that access will be reenabled shortly,” without clarifying why the platform had been blocked in the first place

In a series of tweets, Turkey’s deputy infrastructure minister Omer Fatih Sayan appeared to suggest that the initial takedown of the platform was due to “misinformation” about Monday’s earthquake and the subsequent government response to it.

Sayan said the government had reminded Twitter of its responsibilities and the platform has agreed to “strong cooperation” on disinformation and dealing with content that may “disrupt public order.”

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government has faced growing criticism over its response to the earthquake as nearly 13,000 people have died in the country—a number that continues to rise.

Crucial Quote

The Turkish president acknowledged criticism about the government’s response to the disaster saying: “Of course, there are shortcomings. The conditions are clear to see. It is not possible to be prepared for such a disaster. We will not leave any of our citizens uncared for.” Erdogan, however, attack his critics calling them “dishonorable people” as he accused them of spreading “lies and slander” about his government’s response to the disaster.

News Peg

The death toll from Monday’s 7.8 magnitude earthquake has risen past 16,000 with at least 12,873 people killed in Turkey and more than 3,162 in neighboring Syria, according to the Associated Press. This toll is expected to rise considerably—with WHO warning that it could cross 20,000—as the hope of finding more survivors in the rubble continues to fade amid chilly temperatures.

Key Background

The Turkish government’s response to the quake has come under severe criticism from opposition leaders and members of the public. Anger over the response has been strongest in the hard-hit province of Hatay and its capital Antakya, whose residents claim the rescue efforts have been slow. Erdogan finally visited the province on Wednesday after being repeatedly called out by opposition leaders. Despite being in the midst of a tragedy, the Turkish leader has publicly lashed out at his political rivals while his regime has cracked down on dissent. On Wednesday, police took 18 people into custody and arrested five for making “provocative posts” about the disaster on social media. Journalists covering the disaster have also been targeted for spreading “disinformation.” The disaster comes just months before general elections in Turkey, where Erdogan hopes to retain his nearly two-decade grip on power.

Tangent

Musk or Twitter has not disclosed if the platform made in concessions to the Turkish government before access to the platform was restored in the country. In the U.S. the Twitter CEO has fashioned himself as a “free speech absolutist” and has moved to restored several banned accounts on the platform. The billionaire, however, has appeared more amenable to working with foreign government on censoring certain types of content on the platform. Last month, Twitter complied with the Indian government’s request to ban footage from a BBC documentary which was critical about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s role in the 2002 riots in his home state of Gujarat where more than 1,000 Muslims were killed.