Turkish government agrees to lift Twitter ban

Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that he had to comply with the Turkish high court ruling this week to unblock Twitter, but added that he does not respect it.

Turkey blocked access to the social media website two weeks ago after some users posted links suggesting government corruption.

It later blocked access to YouTube after a leaked recording of a top government security meeting was posted on the video-sharing website.

The government lifted the Twitter ban yesterday, a day after the high court ruled that it violated the right to free expression. Mr Erdogan said of the court’s decision: “I don’t have to respect it. I don’t respect it.”

He said the court was protecting a tool of foreign influence, saying that Twitter is “the product of an American company”.

“All of our national moral values are being set aside,” the prime minister added.

Also yesterday, a lower court ruled that a total blockage of access to YouTube was a “serious intervention against freedom of expression”.