Turkish authorities have intensified their suppression of political opposition with the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a prominent challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Officially, the charges involve corruption and alleged links to terrorism, but critics see the move as yet another step in Erdogan’s campaign to eliminate political rivals.
State-run Anadolu Agency reported that prosecutors issued detention orders for Imamoglu and around 100 others, including his close aide, Murat Ongun. Authorities quickly moved to stifle potential protests, closing roads in Istanbul and imposing a four-day ban on demonstrations.
Further tightening control, the government also restricted access to social media platforms such as X, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. The internet monitoring group NetBlocks confirmed the disruptions, which appear to be aimed at limiting public discourse on the crackdown.
Despite the apparent nationwide restrictions, no official statement has been released to explain the move. However, reports indicate that Turkey’s primary mobile and broadband providers are uniformly implementing the access limitations.
This is not the first time Turkish authorities have resorted to such measures. Similar crackdowns on digital communication have followed past incidents, including bombings and natural disasters, effectively limiting the public’s ability to share information and coordinate responses in real-time.
Legal provisions introduced under a 2020 social media law grant Turkey’s Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) the power to impose such restrictions for up to 24 hours. Should the government seek to extend these limitations beyond that period, a court order is required. Judicial authorities are obligated to review and rule on such requests within 48 hours.
