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Business Standard
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
X restricts access to jailed Istanbul mayor's account after Turkiye request
Access to jailed Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu's social media account on X has been blocked in Turkiye, a monitoring platform said Thursday, the latest move against a key rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. According to Engelli Web, a website that tracks and reports internet censorship in Turkiye, X restricted Imamoglu's account in Turkiye complying with a legal request by Turkish authorities who cited national security and public order concerns. There was no immediate comment from X but a notice on the platform says the account which has 9.7 million followers has been "withheld in TR in response to a legal demand. The account remains accessible outside of Turkiye. Imamoglu, seen as the main opposition challenger to Erdogan's 22-year rule, was arrested on March 19 and jailed on corruption charges. He was nominated as his Republican People's Party, or CHP's presidential candidate while in custody. His arrest has been widely viewed as politically motivated although the government insists Turkiye's judiciary is independent and free of political influence. It triggered widespread demonstrations calling for his release and an end to Turkiye's democratic backsliding under Erdogan. Despite his detention, Imamoglu had remained active on social media. His lawyers are expected to appeal the legal restriction. Opposition politicians criticised the restriction as an assault attack on free speech in Turkiye. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Sun
08-05-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Access to jailed Istanbul mayor's X account blocked
ISTANBUL: Turkish authorities on Thursday blocked access to the social media account of Istanbul's jailed opposition mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who has nearly 10 million followers on X. Imamoglu, who was detained on March 19 on corruption charges he strongly denies, is seen as the biggest rival to longtime leader President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The arrest could stop Imamoglu taking part in presidential elections scheduled for 2028. It was not possible to access to his X account on Thursday morning. A message read: 'Account Withheld -- @ekrem_imamoglu has been withheld in TR (Turkey) in response to a legal demand.' A spokesperson for the Istanbul municipality confirmed access to the account was blocked, without giving further details. Watchdog group EngelliWeb, which reports Internet censorship and blocked web sites in Turkey, said on X that access to Imamoglu's account had been blocked on national security grounds. 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', it said. Yaman Akdeniz, a law professor and head of Turkey's Freedom of Expression Association (IFOD), said the details of the blocking order had not been revealed yet, but added: 'Through our EngelliWeb project we detected the existence of an article 8/A order.' 'This means that the arbitrary order was issued to protect national security and public order. Unfortunately, I am not surprised as hundreds of accounts have been subject to such orders since Imamoglu's arrest,' he told AFP. 'X has officially become the long arm of the Turkish law enforcement agencies,' he said. Mass rally Lawyer Gonenc Gurkaynak said he would object to the court order. '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,' he said on his social media account. In a show of solidarity with Imamoglu, some X users replaced their profile pictures with the Istanbul mayor's. On his last message on X, Imamoglu, who is jailed in Silivri prison on the outskirts of Istanbul, had urged his supporters to join a protest rally held Wednesday, which was called by his CHP party. Tens of thousands of people took part in the Istanbul rally, one of the biggest in recent weeks. In the days after Imamoglu's arrest, tens of thousands of people took part in near-daily protests. But numbers had dwindled in recent weeks. Wednesday's protest was held outside Istanbul University, which had stripped Imamoglu of his degree the day before his arrest.
Arab Times
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Arab Times
X restricts access to jailed Istanbul mayor's account after Turkey's request
ANKARA, Turkey, May 8, (AP): Access to jailed Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu 's social media account on X has been blocked in Turkey, a monitoring platform said Thursday, the latest move against a key rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. According to Engelli Web, a website that that tracks and reports internet censorship in Turkey, X restricted Imamoglu's account in Turkey complying with a legal request by Turkish authorities who cited national security and public order concerns. There was no immediate comment from X but a notice on the platform says the account - which has 9.7 million followers - has been "withheld in TR in response to a legal demand.' The account remains accessible outside of Turkey. Imamoglu, seen as the main opposition challenger to Erdogan's 22-year rule, was arrested on March 19 and jailed on corruption charges. He was nominated as his Republican People's Party, or CHP's presidential candidate while in custody. His arrest has been widely viewed as politically motivated although the government insists Turkey's judiciary is independent and free of political influence. It triggered widespread demonstrations calling for his release and an end to Turkey's democratic backsliding under Erdogan. Despite his detention, Imamoglu had remained active on social media. His lawyers are expected to appeal the legal restriction. Opposition politicians criticized the restriction as an assault attack on free speech in Turkey.
08-05-2025
- Politics
X blocks access to jailed Istanbul mayor's account after Turkey request, group says
ANKARA, Turkey -- Access to jailed Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu 's social media account on X has been blocked in Turkey, a monitoring platform said Thursday, the latest move against a key rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. According to Engelli Web, a website that that tracks and reports internet censorship in Turkey, X restricted Imamoglu's account in Turkey complying with a legal request by Turkish authorities who cited national security and public order concerns. There was no immediate comment from X but a notice on the platform says the account — which has 9.7 million followers — has been "withheld in TR in response to a legal demand.' The account remains accessible outside of Turkey. Imamoglu, seen as the main opposition challenger to Erdogan's 22-year rule, was arrested on March 19 and jailed on corruption charges. He was nominated as his Republican People's Party, or CHP's presidential candidate while in custody. His arrest has been widely viewed as politically motivated although the government insists Turkey's judiciary is independent and free of political influence. It triggered widespread demonstrations calling for his release and an end to Turkey's democratic backsliding under Erdogan. Despite his detention, Imamoglu had remained active on social media. His lawyers are expected to appeal the legal restriction.
San Francisco Chronicle
08-05-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
X restricts access to jailed Istanbul mayor's account after Turkey's request, group says
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Access to jailed Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu 's social media account on X has been blocked in Turkey, a monitoring platform said Thursday, the latest move against a key rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. According to Engelli Web, a website that that tracks and reports internet censorship in Turkey, X restricted Imamoglu's account in Turkey complying with a legal request by Turkish authorities who cited national security and public order concerns. There was no immediate comment from X but a notice on the platform says the account — which has 9.7 million followers — has been "withheld in TR in response to a legal demand.' The account remains accessible outside of Turkey. Imamoglu, seen as the main opposition challenger to Erdogan's 22-year rule, was arrested on March 19 and jailed on corruption charges. He was nominated as his Republican People's Party, or CHP's presidential candidate while in custody. His arrest has been widely viewed as politically motivated although the government insists Turkey's judiciary is independent and free of political influence. It triggered widespread demonstrations calling for his release and an end to Turkey's democratic backsliding under Erdogan.
