GC petitioners: Remove Twitter ‘blue tick’ from Tatar’s account

Mr Tatar, who became President last October, is a regular user of Twitter and currently has more than 154,000 followers.

His personal account, @ersinrtatar, has been active since December 2011 but only recently acquired the coveted blue symbol that shows the account is genuine.

He is the first TRNC president to have his Twitter account authenticated. His predecessor, Mustafa Akıncı, did not acquire the blue badge and had to change his Twitter account’s name during the run-up to last year’s presidential elections after social media users were misled by a spoof account set up in his name.

The decision by Twitter to grant Mr Tatar verified account status has angered some Greek Cypriots, who have set up an online petition calling for the decision to be reversed.

“The social networking site Twitter gave validation with the well-known symbol, blue tick to the occupying leader, Ersin Tatar, something that provokes strong reactions and concerns of users,” a petition launched by “Christina V” said.

“TRNC is the product of illegality, therefore, the international community cannot and will not recognise it as an independent state.

“Moreover, the recognised . . . Republic of Cyprus and all its legitimate citizens are demanding the removal of the blue tick symbol from Tatar’s Twitter account.”

As of yesterday 73 people had signed the petition on the website Avaaz.org. 

According to Twitter, the blue badge is given to accounts of “public interest” that are “authentic, notable, and active”.

Twitter users can ask for their accounts to be verified by providing either a link to an “official website that references you (or your organisation) and your Twitter account”; a “photo of an official government issued identification document, such as your Driver’s License or Passport”; or a an “official email address with a domain relevant to the notability category you choose”.

Twitter defines notable accounts as ones that must “represent or otherwise be associated with a prominently recognised individual or brand, in line with the notability criteria”.

The notability criteria for “government” accounts includes “accounts of current key government officials and offices, including heads of state, elected officials, appointed ministers, institutional entities, ambassadors, and official spokespeople”.

It adds: “To qualify, there must be a public reference to the account on an official government or party site or publication, or multiple references in news media.”