ANKARA, Turkey — A Turkish court ordered the telecommunications authority to restore access to Twitter on Wednesday, issuing a temporary injunction five days after the government blocked the social network in Turkey.
Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc told reporters the telecommunications authority would obey the court decision when it received official notice, but reserved the right to appeal. The ban came shortly after Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to "rip out the roots" of the social network that has been a conduit for links to recordings suggesting government corruption.
The telecommunications authority had closed off access to Twitter, accusing it of disobeying Turkish court orders to remove content. The move drew international criticism and many Turkish users flouted the ban, finding immediate ways to circumvent it. Even Turkish President Abdullah Gul tweeted his opposition to the blockage.
Lawyers, opposition parties and journalists groups asked courts to overturn the ban, arguing it was illegal and unconstitutional.