In the past few weeks, Turks have been glued to their Internet watching incriminating leaked recordings showing vast corruption that reaches all the way to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.  So, Erdogan did what any good despot would do, he blocked the Internet.

People trying to access the Twitter social network were confronted with a notice from Turkey's telecommunications authority, citing court orders for the site's apparent closure.  Twitter is looking into it, and getting the word out that people could still send messages out by using short message service, or “SMS.”  It was unclear if tweets sent this way would be viewable within the country.

European Commission Vice President Neelie Kroes criticized the ban on her Twitter account as "groundless, pointless, cowardly," adding that the "Turkish people and the (international) community will see this as censorship.  It is."

One of the leaked recordings features the alleged voice of Erdogan himself instructing his son to dispose of large amounts of cash from a residence amid a police graft probe.  He denies that it’s his voice, and claims the recording was fabricated.

Dozens of people rounded up in the corruption probe, including the premier's close business and political allies.  But Erdogan has responded by firing and reassigning cops and prosecutors investigating the corruption.