BALTIMORE, Maryland March 21, 2014 - The EU is said to be seething about the Turkish Government's decision to block all Twitter communications in the leadup to presidential elections scheduled for early next week.
Media reports say a Turkish Court ordered the block on Thursday after a speech to that effect by embattled Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan. A notice Twitter uses began receiving when they attempted to use the social media said four court orders have demanded Twitter be block in the country. The Erdogan government is under massive public attack by opposition groups in the wake of corruption charges against several of his cabinet ministers. Other attacks are against Erdogan personally. Local elections are scheduled in Turkey early next week. Opposition leaders have been particularly strident in their attacks against Ergogan, and tens of thousands have taken to Twitter to air precise corruption allegations against him and his cabinet ministers. At least four of those ministers have been forced to resign after prosecuters moved against the families of the four men, alleging corruption in real estate dealings. Erdogan has battled back fiercely, and in a speech on Thursday called for the hugely popular social media site to be blocked in India. A Turkish Court issued an order to that effect on Thursday and on Thursday night Twitter usage was blocked all over the nation that sits astride the divide between Europe and Asia. The Hurriyet Daily News in Istanbul has reported that many if not most Twitter Users have gained access to Twitter again. See the story at www.hurriyetdailynews.com/many-turkish-users-access-twitter-authorities-deny-block-was-removed.aspx?pageID=238&nID=63914&NewsCatID=339
Turkey has been making profound efforts to be admitted to the EU, but now those efforts have been directly endangered. The vice-chairman of the Liberal Group in the European Parliament, German MEP Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, called for the suspension of accession talks following the Twitter ban in Turkey. Lambsdorff, who is also his group's shadow rapporteur on Turkey, said that negotiation with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is no longer necessary.
Speaking to the "Today's Zaman" in Ankara, Turkey, the German Liberal said: “I am asking for the suspension of the accession process. Media freedom is a core European value. If Prime Minister Erdoğan fails to understand that, there is no point in negotiating with him anymore. The EU must continue to engage with Turkish civil society helping it to defend basic civil liberties.” Another top EU official spoke to the AP: European Commission Vice President Neelie Kroes criticized the Twitter ban as "groundless, pointless, cowardly."
In his speech Thursday, Erdogan promised to "rip out" Twitter in his country. Previously, Turkey has blocked access to You Tube, but this is the first effort to block Twitter. While the blockages are widespread, they are not total, and Twitter has provided users with some advice on how to circumvent the blockages. The social media site has yet to issue a formal statement.
The web site "ITWorld" said one high government leader, Turkish President Abdullah Gul, is opposed to the ban and has joined in efforts to circumvent it. According to "ITWorld," "Some users have predictably started using techniques such as intermediary proxy servers to access Twitter."
Some users have predictably started using techniques such as intermediary proxy servers to access Twitter. Among those continuing to tweet was Turkey's President Abdullah Gul, who is said to be opposed to the block on Twitter.
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