Why has Turkey banned ads on Twitter

Turkey has banned ads on Twitter, Priscope and Pinterest, after these platforms did not appoint local representatives in the country under a new social media law, according to decisions published today.

The law stipulates that social media companies that do not appoint local representatives will be subject to a set of penalties, including the last step taken by the Turkish Information and Communication Technology Authority.

The law permits the authorities to delete content from social networking sites instead of blocking access to them as was the case before.

This raised concerns with the increasing demand for electronic platforms due to Ankara's tightening grip on traditional media.

And the decisions published in the Official Gazette indicated that the advertisements ban began work today.

It was not immediately possible to contact "Twitter", its "Prescope" live broadcast and the "Pinterest" application for pictures.

Turkish Deputy Minister of Transport, Umar Fatih Sayan, said that the broadband of Twitter and Pinterest will be reduced by 50% in April and by 90% in May.

Follow our latest local and sports news, and the latest political and economic developments via Google news