Turkey blocks access to Twitter

ANKARA 

Turkey has blocked access to social media website Twitter late Thursday, hours after Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s warned of such an action.

Turkey’s Information and Communication Technologies Authority said early Friday that a Turkish court ordered the blocking of Twitter due to the violation of personal rights and privacy.

Erdogan claimed that Twitter had been reluctant to implement Turkish court decisions -- from cases the Prime Ministry says were filed by Turkish citizens -- ruling on the removal of specific web links and warned that Turkey could block the site as a last resort to avert what he called the "unjust treatment of Turkish citizens."

"In line with these court orders, the Presidency of Telecommunication initiated necessary proceedings [to have the links removed], but Twitter officials remained indifferent to these demands," said a statement from Turkey's Prime Ministry.

The statement came after Erdogan claimed at a local election rally on Thursday that the government would "eradicate" Twitter, based on a court order.

englishnews@aa.com.tr