The prime minister of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, shut the lights on Twitter right about midnight Thursday, a move aimed at curtailing social media posts that suggest government corruption.
In a blunt statement, he said: “We now have a court order. We’ll eradicate Twitter. I don’t care what the international community says. Everyone will witness the power of the Turkish Republic,” The Washington Post reported.
The Twitter feed into the country was disabled — though posters in Turkey can still access the SMS portion of the site and send out tweets. Interestingly, Mr. Erdogan’s announcement had the opposite effect.
Instead of shutting down Twitter, social media users around the nation started posting more than usual, sending out messages and photographs that expressed their dismay — frequently, in mocking ways, The Post said.
One wrote: “Well that’s backfiring. The whole world is watching, Turkey.”
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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