‘Turkey may ban YouTube, Facebook’

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Ankara may ban Facebook and YouTube, after a series of online leaks deepened the corruption scandal gripping his administration.

In a Thursday interview with Turkish media, Erdogan said his administration would consider shutting down the video-sharing website YouTube and the social media network Facebook after local elections which are scheduled to be held on March 30.

Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has come under pressure since last week when a raft of audio recordings were leaked online in which the Turkish premier and his son allegedly discuss how to hide millions of euros in cash.

The Turkish prime minister has described the leaks as a “vile” and “treacherous” attack by his rivals ahead of the March 30 polls. A series of other online leaks also showed Erdogan interfering in trade deals and court cases.

Last month, Turkey adopted a controversial Internet law that allows the government to block websites without a court ruling.

Under the law, the Telecommunications Directorate (TIB) will be able to block access to websites deemed to violate privacy or to have “insulting” content without a court order. The TIB could also request users’ communications and traffic information from providers with no court ruling.

Turkey has been the scene of a political crisis since December 17, 2013, after dozens of government officials and prominent businessmen close to the premier were arrested on graft charges.

The Turkish prime minister has denounced the probe into the graft charges as a “dirty” plot to undermine his government ahead of the upcoming elections.

Erdogan has also accused the rivals in the group led by US-based Muslim cleric, Fethullah Gulen, of acting as a “state within a state” and trying to topple his government by prompting the high-level corruption probe against his close allies. However, Gulen has denied any involvement.