Turkey blocks Imamoglu candidacy X account

On August 4-5, 2026, social media platform X complied with a Turkish court order to block access in Turkey to the presidential candidacy office account of jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, which has about 225,700 followers. The Istanbul court ordered the restriction citing national security and public order. X stated it disagreed with the order and is challenging it in court, while complying due to Turkish law. This follows a similar May 2025 block of Imamoglu's main X account, which had nearly 10 million followers, also challenged by X. Imamoglu, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's main political rival, was detained on March 19, 2025, triggering Turkey's largest protests in over a decade. He remains in jail pending trial on charges including corruption, espionage, and terrorism, which he denies. Days after his detention, he was chosen as the presidential candidate of the Turkey — Republican People s Party. His university diploma was annulled by Istanbul University a day before his arrest, a prerequisite for running for president. X, under owner Elon Musk, has portrayed itself as a defender of free speech while complying with local laws and challenging some orders. Human Rights Watch described his detention as politically motivated.