On the morning of February 21, Turkey’s top public information website, EkşiSözlük, went offline. That same morning, Elan Yurt, an Istanbul-based astrologer and freelancer, tried to visit the site to view discussions about the country’s presidential elections, but the page didn’t load. She initially attributed this to her cumbersome internet connection, but quickly remembered the pattern of mainstream media silence in the aftermath of tragic events in the country.
Users are outraged over Twitter's plan to charge what many think would be a prohibitive $100 monthly fee for a tool known as the API that has proved invaluable for rescue efforts following the recent devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria.