Facebook has not handed over user data to Turkish authorities during the country's ongoing anti-government protests, the company said in a Wednesday statement.

Facebook's comments follow a Turkish government minister's claim that Facebook was "in cooperation with the state" while Twitter was refusing to supply user data, per NPR.

SEE ALSO: In Turkey, a New Form of Protest: Standing Silently for Hours

Read Facebook's full statement below:

Facebook has not provided user data to Turkish authorities in response to government requests relating to the protests. More generally, we reject all government data requests from Turkish authorities and push them to formal legal channels unless it appears that there is an immediate threat to life or a child, which has been the case in only a small fraction of the requests we have received. We are concerned about legislative proposals that might purport to require Internet companies to provide user information to Turkish law enforcement authorities more frequently. We will be meeting with representatives of the Turkish government when they visit Silicon Valley this week, and we intend to communicate our strong concerns about these proposals directly at that time.

Reuters also reported that Turkish authorities are asking Twitter to set up an office in the country to facilitate cooperation between the microblogging service and the government. Turkey's Prime Minister, Tayyip Erdogan, has previously called Twitter a "curse" filled with lies.

The social media back-and-forth comes as some Turkish lawmakers call for stricter rules on social media use following weeks of protests.

Facebook and Twitter alike have long been a refuge for Turks seeking a platform to express unpopular viewpoints largely unmolested by censorship. They have grown increasingly important during the recent demonstrations, serving as crucial tools for Turks to share information as local media failed to adequately cover the protests when they began late last month.

Facebook's rejection of the Turkish official's claims also comes as the company is under fire for alleged cooperation with a recently revealed National Security Administration user surveillance program known as PRISM.

Should Facebook and Twitter cooperate with the Turkish government? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Image via Ozan Kose/AFP/Getty Images