Turkish Government Censors Mayor, Igniting Protests and Freedom Worries

Turkish authorities have blocked access to imprisoned Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu’s social media account with nearly 10 million followers, intensifying a crackdown that has already sparked the largest anti-government protests in Turkey in over a decade.

Key Insights

Access to Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu’s X account has been blocked in Turkey while he remains in detention on corruption charges he denies
The restriction was implemented under Article 8/A of Law No. 5651, citing “national security and public order” concerns
Imamoglu’s detention and social media silencing have sparked Turkey’s largest protests in a decade, with thousands of demonstrators arrested
Opinion polls show Imamoglu’s popularity has increased since his arrest, positioning him as a potential challenger to President Erdogan in 2028
A legal team is filing objections to the court’s decision at X’s request, challenging the censorship on legal grounds

Government Silences Key Opposition Voice

When Turkish citizens attempt to access Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu’s account on the social media platform X, they now encounter a stark message: “Account Withheld—@ekrem_imamoglu has been withheld in TR (Turkey) in response to a legal demand.” The account, which boasts nearly 10 million followers, remains accessible outside Turkey but has been effectively silenced within the country where Imamoglu’s voice matters most. The restriction follows Imamoglu’s detention on March 19 on corruption charges, which opposition parties and human rights groups widely regard as politically motivated.

Legal Justification and Growing Censorship

Turkish authorities justified the blocking under Article 8/A of Law No. 5651, claiming the mayor’s online presence threatens national security and public order. The watchdog group EngelliWeb reported that the account “has been blocked under Article 8/A of Law No. 5651, on the grounds of protecting national security and public order, and has been made invisible in Turkey by X.” This justification has drawn criticism from legal experts and opposition figures who see it as part of a broader pattern of silencing dissent on social media.

Istanbul prosecutors launched an investigation into an April 24 post on Imamoglu’s account, which they claim potentially incited criminal activity. In the post, Imamoglu condemned his arrest and called on supporters to “raise your voice.” His account has remained active despite his imprisonment through management by his legal team, allowing him to maintain a public presence until this recent restriction. This development follows a pattern noted by law professor Yaman Akdeniz, who observed that many accounts have faced similar censorship orders since Imamoglu’s arrest.

Public Response and Legal Challenge

The restriction of Imamoglu’s account has intensified already significant public protests. His detention sparked the largest anti-government demonstrations in Turkey in over a decade, with tens of thousands gathering in rallies across the country. Though mostly peaceful, these protests have led to approximately 2,000 arrests. In a show of solidarity, many X users have changed their profile pictures to images of Imamoglu, with supporter Yusuf Can declaring, “We are all Imamoglu.”

Legal challenges to the restriction are already underway. Turkish lawyer Gonenc Gurkaynak announced plans to file objections to the court’s decision at X’s request, stating he would be “comprehensively presenting all legal grounds for our objections on this matter.” The Republican People’s Party (CHP), Imamoglu’s political party, has characterized the account block as a continuation of what they term a “coup attempt” following his arrest, viewing it as a direct attack on free speech in Turkey.

Political Implications for Turkey’s Future

The timing of these actions against Imamoglu carries significant political implications. Opinion polls indicate his popularity has surged since his arrest, positioning him as potentially President Erdogan’s main rival in the 2028 presidential election. His last message on X before the block urged supporters to join a protest rally organized by his CHP party outside Istanbul University, which had revoked his degree shortly before his arrest. Tens of thousands participated in what became one of the largest demonstrations in recent weeks.

“Regarding the court decision imposing an access restriction on Mr Ekrem Imamoglu’s account on X, upon X’s request and in my capacity as X’s independent attorney, I will be filing an objection application this morning at the relevant court, comprehensively presenting all legal grounds for our objections on this matter,” said lawyer Gonenc Gurkaynak.

Prosecutors have requested that the social media block remain in place until Imamoglu’s pre-trial detention concludes, raising concerns that this could effectively silence a major opposition voice during a critical legal process. The restriction represents a significant escalation in government efforts to control political discourse in a country where social media has become an important platform for opposition voices to reach the public despite traditional media constraints.