Turkey defends Twitter ban

March 22, 2014 19:44

Turkey's government today defended its internationally condemned ban on Twitter as a "preventive measure" after the social networking site was awash with recordings highlighting alleged public corruption.

"Twitter has been used as a means to carry out systematic character assassinations by circulating illegally acquired recordings, fake and fabricated records of wiretapping," the prime minister's office of public diplomacy said in a statement sent to AFP in English.

It added that the government was not against the Internet but what it said was "the free circulation of the illegally acquired recordings over Twitter and other social networking sites which aim at hampering national security and the reputation of the citizens."

Turkey took the radical step of blocking access to Twitter on Thursday after Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose government is engulfed in a vast corruption scandal, defiantly vowed to "wipe out" the messaging service.

« Back to LIVE

TOP STORIES

BJP's '400 paar' film flopped on day 1 of polls: Tejashwi

"The turnout in the four Lok Sabha seats was low as compared to the 2019 polls but on the basis of feedback received from these constituencies, we are confident of winning these. People are fed up with false promises made by BJP...

David, Pollard fined for illegal assistance to SKY

Mumbai Indians batter Tim David and batting coach Kieron Pollard have been fined 20 percent of their respective match fees for breaching the IPL's Code of Conduct during the match against Punjab Kings in Mullanpur on April 18.

Verstappen takes Red Bull's 100th F1 pole in Shanghai

Mexican team mate Sergio Perez qualified second fastest in a front row lockout for Red Bull, 15 years after the team took their first win at the Shanghai International Circuit with Sebastian Vettel.

A Daughter Campaigns For Her Mother

On Friday, April 19, 2024, Aditi Yadav, Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav and Dimple Yadav's elder daughter, campaigned for her mother, the party's candidate from Mainpuri, Uttar Pradesh.

Fate Of First Phase Candidates Sealed

The first phase of Election 2024 on Friday, April 19, 2024, covered 102 seats across 21 states and Union Territories.