Turkey’s Leaders Spar Over Plan to Muzzle Social Media

Just three weeks ahead to the prime ministry elections in Turkey while the issue of social media still escalating. The current Prime Minister, Erdogan, mentioned in an interview in a pro government TV channel that he will close social media websites from Turkey. He said that there will be further steps right after the elections that supposed to be held on this March 30, 2014. However, just an hour after his speech, the current Turkish President, Abdullah Gul, who was the last resort to go over the current government’s policies, announced that he will not go along with the Erdogan’s decision. Gul, actually, altered the law to require a court decision over if it desires to close any of the websits. All of that happens after a lot actions and reactions between the current government and Fethullah Gullen’s, an opposition leader who lives in the U.S, Party by spreading what might claimed to be as ,not so far proved, scandals for the current government. The social media websites helped on spreading these scandals and acknowledge the Turkish people about it. In fact, this just reminds me with a lot of situations like that in the modern history, especially when you notice that Gullen’s party has a great influence in both the police and the judiciary departments.

Written By,
Youssef Mekawy

(http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/08/world/europe/turkey-president-social-media.html?hpw&rref=technology&_r=0)