Order traces to investigation of alleged misleading information
Istanbul prosecutors investigating allegations of publicly disseminating misleading information obtained a court order requiring social media platform X to block jailed Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu’s presidential candidacy account within Turkey. X said Tuesday it is contesting the order.
The order requires X to restrict the account in Turkey while leaving it accessible to users in the rest of the world.
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office was investigating allegations of publicly disseminating misleading information, according to the court order X published. “As a result of open-source research, it was determined that the account identified below had shared content alleged to constitute the offense under investigation and that the content was of a nature capable of disturbing public peace,” the order states. The content in question was not specified.
X’s global government affairs team said the platform is complying under Turkish law while contesting the order in court. “Although Turkey’s laws force us to comply with the order, we are challenging the order in court and, in the spirit of full transparency, are sharing the court order,” the team said, adding that it is challenging the order “because we believe keeping the platform accessible in Turkey is vital to supporting freedom of expression and access to information.”
X said failing to comply with the order could trigger “severe sanctions,” including throttling the entire platform in Turkey.
Access to Imamoglu’s personal account, which has more than 9.4 million followers, was restricted in May 2025. The candidacy office account at the center of the court order was created in November 2025 and has more than 225,700 followers.
Turkish authorities detained Imamoglu and more than 100 other people on March 19, 2025. He was formally arrested and remanded in custody four days later on suspicion of unlawfully recording personal data, accepting bribes, rigging tenders conducted by public institutions, and establishing an organization for the purpose of committing crimes.
Prosecutors allege that an organization led by Imamoglu defrauded public institutions of about $3.9 billion since 2015. If convicted, he faces 1,929 years in prison.
Imamoglu and his Republican People’s Party have denied the allegations. Human Rights Watch has described his initial detention as “a politically motivated move to stifle lawful political activities.”
Turkey’s next presidential election is not scheduled until 2028. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has held office for nearly 12 years after previously serving as prime minister for 11 years.