Image Source: Twitter
Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced on Wednesday that the microblogging service Twitter will be enabled’shortly’ in Turkey, after it was banned by authorities claiming rising misinformation during a period of acute crisis.
On Wednesday, the dead toll from a powerful earthquake that slammed Turkey and Syria surpassed 15,000, as rescuers scrambled to help people buried beneath rubble in frigid conditions.
According to officials and doctors, 12,391 individuals perished in Turkey and 2,992 in Syria as a result of Monday’s 7.8-magnitude earthquake, bringing the verified total to 15,383.
“Twitter has been informed by the Turkish government that access will be reenabled shortly” Twitter Chief Executive Elon Musk posted on the microblogging site an hour ago.
Twitter has been informed by the Turkish government that access will be reenabled shortly
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 8, 2023
The Netblocks internet observatory, which monitors connections throughout the world, reported on Wednesday that Twitter access has been banned two days after a huge earthquake killed hundreds in southern Turkey and northern Syria.
“Real-time network data show Twitter has been restricted in Turkey; the filtering is applied on major internet providers and comes as the public come to rely on the service in the aftermath of a series of deadly earthquakes,” said Netblocks, which tracks connectivity across the globe.
Netblocks reported earlier that, “Real-time network data show Twitter has been restricted in Turkey; the filtering is applied on major internet providers and comes as the public come to rely on the service in the aftermath of a series of deadly earthquakes.”
The Turkish Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure did not immediately reply to Reuters’ request for comment.
Since the earthquake, Turkish residents have flocked to Twitter to share information about loved ones who are unable to reach them, news of collapsed structures in the vicinity, and relief coordination.
According to the government and a rescue team operating in the rebel-held northwest, the verified dead toll in Turkey grew to 9,057 on Wednesday, and at least 2,950 in Syria.