The social network X, owned by Elon Musk, has come under scrutiny after it blocked several accounts linked to opposition figures in Turkey amidst widespread civil unrest. This follows the arrest of Ekrem Imamoglu, a prominent rival to President Tayyip Erdogan, just hours before he was nominated as a presidential candidate by the main opposition party, the Republican People's Party (CHP).
Imamoglu's arrest has triggered significant protests across the country, despite government orders prohibiting gatherings for four days. Many of the protests have been organized by university students, leading to a wave of blocked X accounts of activists, who were primarily sharing information about locations and updates related to the protests. Yusuf Kan, a coordinator and analyst at the Wilson Center, highlighted that most of these blocked accounts belonged to university-affiliated activists with tens of thousands of followers.
Interestingly, while some accounts seem to be blocked only within Turkey, others are accessible outside the country. In a bid to circumvent censorship, activist Omer Faruk Aslan created a second account after his original was blocked by a court due to a substantial increase in post views, which previously exceeded 6 million.
According to Turkish Interior Minister Ali Erlikaya, authorities have identified 326 social media accounts that were allegedly spreading hatred, with 72 of them located abroad. Coordinated cyber operations resulted in the arrest of 54 individuals associated with these accounts. Just recently, Erlikaya reported that 343 people had been arrested during the third night of protests triggered by Imamoglu's detention, with arrests occurring in cities including Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Adana, Antalya, and Konya.
The legality of blocking these accounts may be supported by Turkish law, which provides extensive powers to the government for content suppression. Under the 2022 social media law, the authorities can easily demand the removal of accounts, particularly those deemed inflammatory. This is not the first instance of X hindering access to content in Turkey; during President Erdogan's re-election campaign in 2023, X restricted posts to maintain the platform's accessibility for the Turkish populace.
According to transparency reports, X complied with about 86% of government requests for content removal in Turkey during the latter half of 2024, which was a noticeable increase from the 68% compliance rate in the first half of the same year. While this compliance rate is slightly lower than the 90% seen in the European Union, it is important to note that Turkish authorities are making roughly six times more content removal requests per capita than their EU counterparts.
On March 21, 2025, President Erdogan commented on Imamoglu's arrest, stating that the government would not waste time on what he referred to as “the opposition's show.” Imamoglu has denied the accusations leveled against him, suggesting political motivations behind his arrest. Erdogan's comments further ignite the already tense atmosphere in Turkey as protests continue to spread.
As the situation develops, questions about freedom of speech and governmental overreach loom large. Elon Musk, a self-styled champion of free speech, acquired X to advocate for open dialogue on the platform. However, the current actions taken against opposition figures raise concerns about whether these principles are being upheld in practice.
In a climate of increased governmental control over social media, the implications of these account blocks extend far beyond individual users; they signify a broader struggle for freedom and democracy in Turkey. Activists and opposition voices are left grappling with the fallout from these actions, while the government's grip tightens on dissenting opinions.
The protests reflect the deep-seated frustrations of a populace unwilling to accept the status quo, highlighting the ongoing battle for civil liberties in Turkey. In defiance of government orders, students, and activists continue to rally, aware that their safety hangs in the balance as they advocate for political change.
As events unfold in Turkey, the international community watches closely, aware that the outcome could have far-reaching consequences for democratic movements not just in Turkey but throughout the region.
