Rescuers search for victims and survivors among the rubble of collapsed buildings in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck the southeast of the country.
Twitter became inaccessible on major Turkish mobile phone providers on Wednesday as online criticism mounted over the government’s response to this week’s deadly earthquake.
AFP reporters were unable to access the social network in Turkey. It was still accessible via VPN services that hide a user’s location.
Social media monitor netblocks.org said Twitter was restricted “on multiple Internet providers in Turkey.”
“Turkey has a long history of restricting social media during national emergencies and security incidents,” the monitor added.
Turkish police have detained more than a dozen people since Monday’s quake over social media posts criticizing how President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government has been dealing with the disaster.
READ | Turkey suspends stock trading for first time in 24 years after deadly earthquake
Monday’s 7.8 magnitude temblor and its aftershocks killed at least 11,200 people in southeastern Turkey and parts of Syria.
Turkish social media has been abuzz with posts from people complaining about the lack of search and rescue efforts in their provinces.
The Twitter outage came as Erdogan toured two of the hardest-hit Turkish provinces.
Turkish officials had no immediate statement on the service interruption.
But they issued repeated warnings about the spread of misinformation ahead of a crucial May 14 election in which Erdogan will try to extend his two-decade term.
We live in a world where fact and fiction blur.
In uncertain times, you need journalism you can trust. For 14 free days, you can have access to a world of in-depth analysis, investigative journalism, featured opinions, and a variety of features. Journalism strengthens democracy. Invest in the future today. Thereafter, you will be billed R75 per month. You can cancel at any time and if you cancel within 14 days, you will not be billed.
