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 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.