Turkish authorities on Thursday blocked access to the social media account of Istanbul’s opposition mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, who has nearly 10 million followers on X.
Users in Turkey attempting to view his account now see a message stating it “has been withheld in TR in response to a legal demand.”
While the blocking of social media accounts and websites belonging to journalists and activists is not uncommon, this marks the first time that the account of a high-profile elected official has been restricted in this way.
The move sparked widespread backlash online. One viral post read: “A huge FUCK YOU to Elon Musk and the whole X team for bowing down to Erdoğan’s pressure and restricting the X account of Ekrem İmamoğlu. Shame.”
In defiance, thousands of X users have changed their profile pictures to match İmamoğlu’s silenced account, amplifying his message and protesting the censorship.
You scream fking free speech all day long but when it actually matters you go silent, @elonmusk!@ekrem_imamoglu, elected by millions, has been jailed for weeks on bullshit charges! And you're helping silence him?
— Uraz Akgül (@urazdev) May 8, 2025
This isn't neutrality. It's cowardice and complicity! pic.twitter.com/TAHYYQ1N21
İmamoğlu, thrice elected as Istanbul mayor, is a leading opposition figure with broad national appeal. His political strength makes him a likely contender in the 2028 presidential elections — or sooner if early elections are called.
His legal battles, including a prior conviction on politically charged grounds, are widely seen as attempts to sideline him through a politicized judiciary. İmamoğlu has denied all accusations, calling them part of an effort to discredit his leadership.
Fayn
As X continues to silence dissenting voices in Turkey, users are increasingly migrating to Bluesky in protest, launching a grassroots boycott of Elon Musk’s platform.
Selin Öztunçman
