Turkey's top constitutional court ruled on Wednesday that the government's ban on the online messaging service Twitter violated rights, local media reported.
The court ordered that the ban must be lifted, sending a statement both to the country's telecommunications authority TIB and the communications ministry to "do what's necessary," the private NTV television reported.
The Twitter ban took effect on March 20 after the social media site was used to spread audio recordings that allegedly implicated Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his inner circle in a corruption scandal.
Shutting down Twitter ahead of crucial March 30 local elections sparked condemnation at home and abroad and earned Turkey strong rebuke from rights groups and its Western allies.
But the ban has been widely circumvented by Twitter users who have kept on tweeting via text message or adjusting their Internet settings.
Erdogan's Islamic-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP) won local polls, a win that came despite corruption claims and Internet clampdowns.
The government also shut down YouTube after the popular social media network leaked a high-level security meeting discussing war plans against neighbouring Syria.
Turkey’s top constitutional court ruled on Wednesday that the government’s ban on the online messaging service Twitter violated rights, local media reported.
The court ordered that the ban must be lifted, sending a statement both to the country’s telecommunications authority TIB and the communications ministry to “do what’s necessary,” the private NTV television reported.
The Twitter ban took effect on March 20 after the social media site was used to spread audio recordings that allegedly implicated Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his inner circle in a corruption scandal.
Shutting down Twitter ahead of crucial March 30 local elections sparked condemnation at home and abroad and earned Turkey strong rebuke from rights groups and its Western allies.
But the ban has been widely circumvented by Twitter users who have kept on tweeting via text message or adjusting their Internet settings.
Erdogan’s Islamic-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP) won local polls, a win that came despite corruption claims and Internet clampdowns.
The government also shut down YouTube after the popular social media network leaked a high-level security meeting discussing war plans against neighbouring Syria.
