Turkey has blocked access to a popular website and is increasing censorship in the country

Turkish authorities have blocked access to a popular website, Dictionary minusan interactive forum used daily by thousands of people, without specifying the reasons for the measure.

On its official website, the Information and Communications Technology Authority (BTK) confirms its “decision to block access to eksozluk.com”.

“There is a decision to prohibit access, but we have no information about the details. We are trying to get information from the authorities. We will share them as we have information,” he said. Dictionary minus in a statement released early Wednesday.

Eksi Sozluk, a “dictionary” of Turkish text built from user contributions, it is the first and most popular of its kind to be targeted by the government, ostensibly for spreading “provocative messages” about earthquakes that devastated southeastern Turkey.

Two other sites Inci Sozcuk and Uludag Sozlukexpressed their support for Eksi Sozluk and called for the resignation of the president of the BTK.

On the other hand, the Superior council of radio and television (RTUK) announced that it will study broadcasters’ coverage of the earthquake.

This has raised fears of sanctions among media critical of the government, which they blame for mishandling its response to the earthquakes that devastated the south-east of the country and the north of Syria last day 6.

In Turkey, the earthquakes, measuring 7.7 and 7.6 degrees and followed by thousands of aftershocks and other tremors, left at least 42,310 dead and more than 100,000 injured.

This Monday a new earthquake of magnitude 6.4 (and a replica of 5.8) was recorded in the province of Hatay, in southern Turkey, most affected by the earthquake of February 6, which left more than 41,000 dead in the country, the disaster response agency AFAD reported.

The earthquake shook the city of Bay at 8:04 p.m. (5:04 p.m. GMT) and was strongly felt in Antoquia and Adana, 200 kilometers to the north. This was also felt in Syria, Jordan, Israel and Egypt.

At least six people died and 294 were injured, Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu reported. Meanwhile, more than 130 people Various wounded were received in the opposition areas of northwestern Syria.

At least one already half-collapsed building has collapsed entirely and debris from others has damaged parked cars, the channel reports NTV.

“We know it is an independent earthquake. We detected about twenty aftershocks after the first earthquake of 6.4. We have eight wounded”, explained the Turkish vice-president, Fouat Oktay, quoted by the newspaper ‘Hürriyet’. Oktay urged people to stay away from damaged buildings and follow authorities’ instructions and confirmed at least eight people were injured.

Authorities warned people to stay far from the coast in the province of Hatay, since the water level could rise by half a meter after the new earthquake and there is a risk of a tsunami.

This new tremor was recorded in the town of Samandağ, about 12 kilometers from the Mediterranean coast, for which AFAD, the Turkish emergency agency, asked to move away from the water.

(With information from EFE)

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