Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was quoted Thursday as saying he’ll shut down Twitter in the country, two weeks after he backpedaled on threats to ban Facebook and YouTube.
“We now have a court order. We’ll eradicate Twitter, “ he said at a campaign rally in the western city of Bursa ahead of local elections, Hurriyet Daily News reports. “I don’t care what the international community says. Everyone will witness the power of the Turkish Republic.”
The prime minister’s feud with the popular social media sites was sparked earlier this month after audio recordings that purportedly implicated him in a recent corruption scandal surfaced online. Erdogan has denied involvement and said the recordings were fabricated.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Why Trump’s Message Worked on Latino Men
- What Trump’s Win Could Mean for Housing
- The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024
- Sleep Doctors Share the 1 Tip That’s Changed Their Lives
- Column: Let’s Bring Back Romance
- What It’s Like to Have Long COVID As a Kid
- FX’s Say Nothing Is the Must-Watch Political Thriller of 2024
- Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby Decision
Write to Noah Rayman at noah.rayman@time.com