Turkish president loses Twitter followers over web law
Abdullah Gul loses almost 80,000 Twitter followers over law to block pages deemed insulting or considered an invasion of privacy
Turkish President Abdullah Gul has lost tens of thousands of Twitter followers after signing into force a controversial law voted in by parliament that would tighten controls over web use.
Gul, a frequent user of social media, lost almost 80,000 followers after he tweeted late on Tuesday that he had approved the contested bill.
He said the government had assured him that it would soften two disputed articles of the legislation, which the opposition and rights groups say infringes citizens’ freedoms.
“I am aware of the problems mainly on two points... These concerns will be taken into account in the new law,” said Gul, who still has 4.3 million Twitter followers.
Nonetheless, the move triggered an angry response on Twitter.
“Good morning/First thing to do today: unfollowcbabdullahgul,” tweeted one user using the name mevan.