Turkiye blocks X account of jailed opposition mayor

By AFP
|
May 09, 2025
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, addresses his supporters from the top of a bus after giving testimony to judicial authorities at the Justice Palace, known as Caglayan Courthouse, in Istanbul, Turkey, January 31, 2025. —Reuters

ISTANBUL: Turkish authorities on Thursday blocked access to the account of Istanbul´s jailed opposition mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on social media platform X, where he has nearly 10 million followers.

The arrest of Imamoglu -- seen as the biggest rival to longtime leader President Recep Tayyip Erdogan -- on March 19 sparked mass street protests in his support. The arrest, on corruption charges that Imamoglu denies, could stop him taking part in presidential elections scheduled for 2028.