August 5, 2026 | 02:46 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The social media platform X announced that it was complying with a Turkish court order to block access to the presidential candidacy account of imprisoned Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, which has around 225,700 followers.
According to a copy of the order posted by X on Wednesday, an Istanbul court ordered the platform to restrict access domestically to Imamoglu's account to protect national security and public order.
However, X said that it is challenging the order in court. "Although Turkiye'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," it said.
Imamoglu's main X account already blocked
Elon Musk has sought to portray X as a defender of free speech since taking control of the company in 2022 but he has drawn criticism for having done away with dedicated measures for content moderation.
In May 2025, Imamoglu's main X account, which had nearly 10 million followers, was blocked in Turkey under a similar order. At the time, X also filed a legal challenge against the order, arguing against the restriction.
"Our challenge against this order remains pending before the Constitutional Court, awaiting a decision following our recent legal filings," X said.
X said that that failing to comply with these orders could result in severe sanctions, including the throttling of its services in Turkey.
Who is Ekrem Imamoglu?
Ekrem Imamoglu, the popular former mayor of Istanbul, is the main political rival of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Imamoglu had his university degree revoked on March 18, 2025, before being arrested on terrorism and corruption charges a day later. His arrest sparked Turkey's largest protests in over a decade.
In March 2026, Imamoglu's trial finally began, with prosecutors seeking 2,430 years in prison for him.
Read: Ousted Turkish Opposition Leader Forms Second-Largest Party
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