X challenges Turkey order restricting Istanbul mayor’s candidacy account

Social media platform X has announced that it is challenging a Turkish court order requiring the restriction of access in Türkiye to the official Presidential Candidacy Office account of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, who is currently detained.

In a statement from its Global Government Affairs account, X said it was legally required to comply with the order under Turkish law but has filed a court challenge, arguing that the decision raises concerns over freedom of expression and access to information.

The company also published the court order in the interest of transparency, identifying the decision as coming from the Istanbul 8th Criminal Judgeship of Peace (2026/6804).

X said the latest restriction follows a similar order issued in May 2025 involving another account linked to the Istanbul mayor. The platform said it complied with that order at the time but publicly expressed its disagreement, challenged the decision in court, and shared the relevant legal documents.

According to X, the restrictions require the company to block access in Türkiye to content that remains available elsewhere around the world. The company warned that failure to comply could result in serious penalties, including possible restrictions affecting access to the entire platform in the country.

“X challenges these orders in court because we believe keeping the platform accessible in Türkiye is vital to supporting freedom of expression and access to information,” the company said.

The platform added that it will continue to legally challenge content removal requests in Türkiye and other countries when it believes they conflict with principles of free expression, due process, or applicable laws.

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