X restricts access to jailed Istanbul mayor's account after Turkey's request

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Access to jailed Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu ’s social media account on X has been blocked in Turkey, officials and reports 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 it says Imamoglu's 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.

Gonenc Gurkaynak, a lawyer representing X in Turkey, said he had filed an appeal on behalf of the platform against the decision blocking the account. He said he had submitted a 27-page petition and hundreds of pages of supporting documents to the court.

The Turkish presidency's Center for Countering Disinformation said the court decision followed an investigation into a post by Imamoglu on X, which prosecutors assessed to be an incitement to commit a crime.

Authorities also ruled that because Imamoglu is currently detained, his account is not directly managed by him and therefore poses a threat to public order.

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. Opposition politicians criticized the restriction as an assault attack on free speech in Turkey.