Israel Matzav

Erdogan threatens to cut off Facebook and YouTube

As Iran finally admits that it will not be able to ban Facebook forever, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President Obama's Best Friend Forever, is trying to ban Facebook and YouTube in his country because they have posted items that are hostile to him in the current local elections.

Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey could ban Facebook and YouTube, which he says have been abused by his political enemies, after local elections on March 30.

Erdogan is locked in a power struggle with the US-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen, a former ally who he says is behind a stream of "fabricated" audio recordings posted on the Internet allegedly revealing corruption in his inner circle.

"We are determined on this subject. We will not leave this nation at the mercy of YouTube and Facebook," Erdogan said in a late night interview with the Turkish broadcaster ATV.

Asked if the possible barring of these sites was included in his planned measures, he said: "Included."

Erdogan says the release of his purported conversations is part of a campaign to discredit him. 

Gulen denies any involvement in the recordings, and rejects allegations that he is using a network of proteges to try to influence politics in Turkey.

So why doesn't he just ban them now? Oh... wait... Erdogan wants to be able to claim he was 'democratically elected' before he acts undemocratically. Hmmm.

Labels: Facebook, Iran, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey, YouTube

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 4:20 PM