Social media platform X on Monday blocked access in Turkey to another account operated by jailed İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu’s presidential campaign office, the Freedom of Expression Association (İFÖD) reported.
The account, which has more than 226,000 followers and posts messages on İmamoğlu’s behalf, changed its handle to “CAOIletisim11” after the blocking order.
Turkish authorities had ordered the account blocked on July 16 under Article 8/A of Law No. 5651, citing national security and public order grounds. No specific post or other content was publicly identified as prompting the decision.
İmamoğlu, widely seen as President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s strongest political rival, was arrested in March 2025 on corruption charges that critics say are politically motivated and intended to sideline him ahead of the 2028 presidential election.
He is standing trial with more than 400 defendants on charges including establishing a criminal organization, bribery, bid rigging, fraud and money laundering. İmamoğlu denies the charges.
The investigations into the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality are widely seen by critics as part of growing pressure on the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).
A Turkish court also recently blocked access to a website reporting defense arguments and courtroom developments in İmamoğlu’s trial.
İmamoğlu and his campaign office have faced repeated restrictions on their social media accounts since his arrest. His personal X account and several campaign accounts were previously blocked in Turkey on similar grounds. Authorities also ordered his YouTube channel blocked in July, although it remains accessible.
Online censorship in Turkey has expanded sharply in recent years. According to İFÖD’s EngelliWeb, authorities blocked more than 232,000 websites and domain names in 2025, bringing the total number restricted since 2018 to more than 1.5 million.
