Turkey blocks YouTube access after ‘manipulated’ audio leak

Turkey has blocked access to YouTube after an audio recording purportedly of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussing a potential invasion of Syria with his security officials appeared on YouTube.

The national telecoms authority said that it had taken an “administrative measure” against the site in Turkey, a day after a court ordered the suspension of the country’s Twitter ban.

In the wake of the audio recording, the Turkish foreign ministry issued a statement, calling the leak a “wretched attack” on national security and it also claimed that the audio was manipulated.

The controversial recording relates to a discussion of possible military operations in Syria, which was apparently attended by Turkey's intelligence chief, its foreign minister and the deputy head of the armed forces.

Its authencity is yet to be verified.

Erdogan, who had earlier suggested that bans could be applied to both YouTube and Facebook, has also claimed that most of the audio recordings are fakes.

Turkey’s ban on YouTube comes a week after its telecoms authority blocked access to Twitter.

The ban came after users posted voice recordings and documents purportedly showing evidence of corruption among Erdogan's inner circle.

Leaked recordings shared and linked on Twitter include one in which Erdogan allegedly instructs his son to dispose of large amounts of cash from a residence amid a police corruption probe. Erdogan insists the recordings are fabricated "vile fakes" and part of a plot to discredit the government ahead of the March 30 elections.

Turkey’s ban on Twitter has however been suspended by the country’s courts, after the Turkey lawyers’ association asked presented a court writ to overturn the ban.