Turkish court reverses ban on Twitter

A Turkish court ruled Wednesday that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government could not legally block Twitter access in Turkey.

On March 20, Erdogan announced his decision to seek a court order to "eradicate" Twitter during a campaign rally in Bursa, saying "Twitter and so on, we will root them out. The international community can say this or that -- I don't care. They will see the power of the Turkish Republic."

The Turkish government has been working to remove and prevent embarrassing leaks on social media linked to a corruption investigation involving four of Erdogan's former cabinet ministers.

Wednesday's court ruling was in response to a suit filed by Turkey's bar association and its journalists' union. The complainants argued that a government block on Twitter violated freedom of information and communication.

[New York Times]