According to Turkey’s disaster management service, the death toll from Monday’s terrible earthquakes has increased to 12,391 across Turkey and Syria, as reported by Swiss Info.
Temporary prohibition
Elon Musk stated that the Turkish government has informed Twitter that access will soon be restored. The government claims it asked the social media site to take more action against misinformation in the wake of the accident, which is why access is temporarily prohibited.
Mevlut Cavusoglu, Turkey’s foreign minister, said the government is considering two fresh border openings with Syria to allow for the entry of more supplies.
The market will be closed for five working days, according to the Turkish stock exchange, which has voided all Wednesday’s trades. A three-month state of emergency has been proclaimed for the earthquake-affected provinces by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Key Developments
- Erdogan Vows Building Blitz to Renew Quake-Hit Areas Within Year
- Turkey Halts Stock Trading for Five Days and Cancels Some Trades
- Twitter Access Blocked in Turkey Days After Massive Earthquakes
- Erdogan Wants Elections in May Despite Earthquake Fallout
Walking through timeline
(All times Istanbul, GMT +3)
Death Toll Rises to 12,391, Turkish Disaster Management Agency Says (5:00 a.m.)
The death toll following Monday’s devastating earthquakes has risen to 12,391 across Turkey and Syria, according to the Turkish disaster management agency known as AFAD.
Turkey Cites ‘Pledge’ from Twitter on Curbing Disinformation (12:27 a.m.)
Turkey’s state media said early Thursday that Twitter representatives “pledged” to collaborate with the nation to curb disinformation on the social media platform.
Twitter executives agreed to do more against bots and prevent false news, Turkey’s state-run news agency Anadolu reported, without saying how it obtained its information.
Musk, Turkey at Odds Over Twitter (11:02 p.m.)
Musk, Twitter’s CEO, said in a tweet that he is “reaching out to understand more” about the Turkish government’s decision to restrict access to the platform.
Minutes earlier, Turkey had issued a statement, saying that officials on Wednesday asked Twitter to do more against disinformation in the aftermath of the quake.
Border Gates With Syria (9:10 p.m.)
Cavusoglu, the foreign minister, said Turkey plans to open two new border crossings with Syria.
“Some European countries and Turkey are having issues delivering aid to Syrian due to weak infrastructure affected by the quakes,” Cavusoglu said.
European Union Steps In (8:00 p.m.)
Following the quakes, the European Union said it will provide additional emergency support to both countries through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism and emergency humanitarian assistance worth €6.5 million.
Turkey Death Toll Rises to 9,057 (6:19 p.m.)
The number of fatalities in Turkey rose to 9,057, Erdogan said, bringing total deaths including Syria to over 11,600.
The number of injured in Turkey is 52,979, he added.
Turkish Stocks to Restart Trading on Feb. 15 (5:24 p.m.)
The Turkish stock exchange cancelled trades from February 8 and said trading would resume on February 15, according to a statement.
Twitter Access Restricted in Turkey, Monitor Says (5:05 p.m.)
Access to Twitter was restricted on multiple internet providers in Turkey on Wednesday, internet monitor NetBlocks said, citing real-time data.
Users can still use virtual private networks, or VPNs, to bypass the restrictions, it added.
The Presidency published a “disinformation bulletin” on Tuesday criticizing some social media posts that questioned the extent of the state response to the earthquakes. Main opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu said on Twitter that the government was behind the restriction.
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Source: Swiss Info
