Musk blocks X users in Türkiye reporting on protests
Photo: The accounts of X users in Türkiye who reported on the protests have been blocked (Getty Images)
Elon Musk, the owner of X, has blocked the accounts of some users in Türkiye. The restrictions apply to those who spread information about the protests, reports Politico.
“The suspensions come after extensive demonstrations were sparked by the arrest earlier this week of Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan's main political rival, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu,” the media writes.
Much of the opposition activity has been centered around universities and many of those who were associated with the demonstrations now admit that their X accounts have been suspended.
“The majority of the suspended accounts were university-associated activist accounts, basically sharing protest information, locations for students to go,” Yusuf Can, coordinator and analyst of the Wilson Center's Middle East Program, told the media.
According to him, many of these accounts had several tens of thousands of followers.
Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said that the authorities had identified 326 social media accounts that allegedly incited hatred, 72 of which were abroad.
He said a coordinated action between cyber and security authorities led to the arrest of 54 suspects related to the social media accounts.
Account suspension is likely legal in Türkiye as local law allows such actions if requested by the government. The 2022 social media law gives the Turkish government broad and vague powers in this regard.
Protests in Türkiye
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, a major political rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, was detained in Türkiye a few days before he was to be elected as a presidential candidate.
After his detention, protests erupted. They took place even though the government banned mass gatherings in Istanbul and imposed restrictions for four days. In total, police detained about 100 people.
Read more about what's happening in Türkiye in RBC-Ukraine's article.
