Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is calling for a ban on social media once again.
A spokesperson for this office said on Monday that a prosecutor has ordered Internet providers to block sites that include YouTube and Twitter, which is extremely popular in the country.
The request comes after photos spread online showing militants holding a prosecutor hostage at gunpoint last week during a takeover of this courthouse office. Prosecutor Mehmet Selim Kiraz, who investigated the death of a teenager who was hit by a police gas canister fired during nationwide anti-government protests in 2013, died last week in a shootout between police and the Marxist militants.
Turkish government officials have blasted the media for posting the images, and there was a temporary media blackout during the siege.
Although it's was not immediately clear how Turkish officials are carrying out the shutdown order, government-run Anadolu Agency quoted the Union of Internet Providers as confirming that access to Twitter and YouTube has been blocked.
Last year, Turkey closed down access to YouTube and Twitter after leaked recordings suggested corruption by people close to Erdogan.