(Reuters) – Twitter Chief Executive Elon Musk said in a tweet on Wednesday that the company had been informed by the government of Turkey that full access to the social media platform in the country will be re-enabled “shortly”.
The Netblocks internet observatory, which tracks connectivity across the globe, said earlier on Wednesday that Twitter access had been restricted two days after a major earthquake killed thousands in southern Turkey and northern Syria.
“Twitter has been informed by the Turkish government that access will be re-enabled shortly,” Musk tweeted, without providing further details on timing.
Netblocks reported earlier that, “Real-time network data show Twitter has been restricted in Turkey; the filtering is applied on major internet providers and comes as the public come to rely on the service in the aftermath of a series of deadly earthquakes.”
Turkey’s Transportation and Infrastructure Ministry did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
Turkish people have taken to Twitter since the earthquake to post information about loved ones they cannot reach, reports of collapsed buildings in the area and coordination for aid.
The confirmed death toll rose to 9,057 in Turkey on Wednesday, and in Syria had climbed to at least 2,950, according to the government and a rescue service operating in the rebel-held northwest.
(Reporting by Rhea Binoy in Bengaluru; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Kenneth Maxwell)
