X restricts Erdoğan rival İmamoğlu’s account in Turkey

X has blocked access to İstanbul’s suspended mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu’s account within Turkey following a court order.

Users in the country attempting to view his account now see a message stating it “has been withheld in TR in response to a legal demand.” No official statement has yet been issued regarding the restriction.

İmamoğlu’s English-language account remains accessible in Turkey.

İmamoğlu was arrested on Mar 23 as part of a corruption investigation and suspended from office on the same day. The crackdown sparked widespread protests across the country, particularly in İstanbul, and led to the blocking of hundreds of activist accounts on X through similar court orders. At the time, X announced that it would use legal channels to challenge these restrictions.

While the blocking of social media accounts and websites belonging to journalists, activists, and organizations is not uncommon in Turkey, this marks the first time that the account of a high-profile elected official has been restricted.

Since his arrest, İmamoğlu has continued to communicate with the public through his X account, sharing daily updates via messages delivered through his lawyers. 

İmamoğlu’s arrest coincided with the Republican People’s Party (CHP) primary, during which he was formally announced as the party’s presidential candidate despite being in custody. The next general elections are scheduled for 2028.

The same investigation has led to the detention of nearly 100 individuals, most of them municipal officials or employees. The CHP claims the proceedings are politically motivated, aimed at sidelining İmamoğlu, who is widely seen as President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s strongest rival. Government officials, however, maintain that the investigation is proceeding within the bounds of judicial independence.

Separately, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced yesterday that 6,765 URLs and 27,304 social media accounts were blocked in Turkey in the first four months of the year due to alleged criminal content. Such access restrictions are typically imposed by court orders following complaints from various state institutions. (VK)