Opposition leaders exchange jokes on Twitter after call for social media controls

ANKARA

Turkish opposition party leaders have made jokes on their Twitter accounts referencing Netflix series after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced that his party will initiate legislation to further control social media networks.

İYİ (Good) Party Meral Akşener referred to the Netflix show “Dark” and tagged President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in her post.

“If you close Netflix before the end of Dark’s last season, I will be offended,” Akşener tweeted on July 1 mentioning his Twitter handle.

“Oh, Mrs. Meral, now he could give us a spoiler out of anger,” main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu responded to Akşener on Twitter in a retweet.

Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) co-chair Pervin Buldan also joined the chain, responding to Kılıçdaroğlu.

“We were waiting for the last season of La Casa De Papel,” she tweeted, referring to the Spanish popular series.

Erdoğan then replied to Akşener, Kılıçdaroğlu and Buldan on his Twitter account. “We will continue to serve and write history while they watch TV series and films,” Erdoğan tweeted.

Shortly after Erdoğan’s tweet, Akşener posted another message sharing a photo in which the president is seen on a visit to the set of the Turkish “Resurrection: Ertuğrul” series, which he has touted for its depiction of the life of the father of the founder of the Ottoman Empire.

“Are you sure, Mr. @RTErdogan?” Akşener asked.

On July 1, Erdoğan vowed he will take strict measures against social media platforms following insults directed at his daughter and son-in-law after they announced the birth of their fourth child on Twitter.

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) will take a step for a bill for stringent control over these platforms, he said.

“As soon as we will bring it [bill] to our parliament, we want social media channels to be completely removed and controlled. I hope to deal with this issue before the legislative period ends,” Erdoğan said.