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Turkey Blocks Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube During Ongoing Military Coup

Military coup underway in Turkey's two biggest cities

Jul 15, 2016 22:45 GMT  ·  By
Turkish military on Istanbul bridge
   Turkish military on Istanbul bridge

Internet access to three major social networks has been blocked today in Turkey following an ongoing military coup orchestrated by the Turkish Army.

At around 11:00 AM, local time, forces of the Turkish Army seized control of Turkey's government offices, bridges, and public squares in the country's main cities, its capital Ankara and its main port Istanbul.

About the same time, Twitter account @TurkeyBlocks reported that the government cut access to Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, while access to Vimeo and Instagram remained available.

The TurkeyBlocks Twitter account was set up last year, after the local government had blocked access to several social media services during public protests, and its sole purpose is to let Turkish citizens and international media agencies know what online services the Turkish government is currently blocking.

Military coup against Erdogan's stranglehold on Turkish democracy

According to reports coming out of all major media agencies, the coup was perfectly timed with President Tayyip Erdogan's vacation.

Spokespersons for the Turkish military said the army seized power in order to restore freedom to a country led by Erdogan since 2003. The military accused Erdogan of eroding the country's democracy and promised to honor current international agreements.

President Erdogan said in subsequent statements that only a small group of the military was behind the coup and called upon Turks to flood the streets in support.

Some users who used TOR or VPNs to connect online posted videos and images showing helicopters and airplanes surveilling the two cities, army patrols on bridges, and huge crowds on the streets.

Comments on the photos showed support for both Erdogan and the military, hinting at a possible stalemate that might grip the country in the coming days.

Gunfire was heard on the streets of Ankara and Istanbul later in the day. Other social media postings showed huge crowds.

Below is the statement from the Turkish military and some selected social media posts:

“  Turkish Armed Forces have completely taken over the administration of the country to reinstate constitutional order, human rights and freedoms, the rule of law and the general security that was damaged. All international agreements are still valid. We hope that all of our good relationships with all countries will continue.  ”

     
و خرج الشعب التركي .. #تركيا #turkey A video posted by سعودي هيرو | Saudi Hero (@sau_hero) on Jul 15, 2016 at 3:53pm PDT