Politics in Turkey: Access to Ekrem İmamoğlu’s X Account Blocked in Turkey by Court Order
Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu’s X (formerly Twitter) account has been blocked from access within Turkey following a court decision amid an ongoing investigation.
İmamoğlu, who was arrested and suspended from office on April 23, is alleged to have issued directives from prison via his social media account. According to the complaint filed by lawyer Burak Bekiroğlu, the account was being operated by third parties and used to call for a boycott of domestic companies, which he claimed amounted to an attempt to disrupt the economy.
Bekiroğlu submitted a formal request to the Istanbul Criminal Court of Peace, which approved the access ban. Users trying to view İmamoğlu’s account in Turkey are now met with the message: “Access to @ekrem_imamoglu has been restricted in Turkey in response to a legal request.”
The decision drew strong criticism from the opposition. CHP Deputy Chairman Deniz Yavuzyılmaz described the move as a direct interference in politics, while CHP Parliamentary Group Deputy Chair Gökhan Günaydın said the government was undermining democratic competition. In a show of solidarity, members of the CHP Youth Branch and some Party Assembly members changed their profile pictures to images of İmamoğlu. The ban sparked widespread debate and public reaction on social media.
