Access ban on Türkiye's popular social network lifted after nine days

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An access ban imposed on Ekşi Sözlük, one of the most popular websites in Türkiye, has been lifted, the CEO of the platform has announced.

The Ankara 4th Penal Judgeship of Peace on February 21 blocked access to the website upon a request by the Information Technologies and Communications Authority (BTK).

Ekşi Sözlük, which translates as "Sour Dictionary," was founded in 1999 and is one of the most popular websites in Türkiye. Only approved users are allowed to post messages on the site, the number of which is over 100,000.

In an interview with bianet after the ban, Başak Purut, the platform's CEO, had said they would take legal action against the decision.

The ban came amid an intense public debate over last month's massive earthquakes while the reason for it was not disclosed.

The authorities had also restricted access to Twitter for nearly an entire day after the earthquakes that claimed over 45,000 lives in Türkiye's south and southeast.

Over 130 people were detained across Türkiye because of their posts about the massive earthquakes on February 6, according to a statement from the police on February 23.

Over the past decade, the government frequently resorted to social media restrictions at times of crisis, such as bomb attacks or natural disasters. The latest example was the November 13 İstanbul bomb attack, after which all major social media platforms were restricted and dozens of social media users were investigated over their posts. (ME/VK)