Turkey imposes access blocks on over 140 X accounts

A significant wave of access restrictions has been imposed on social media accounts in Turkey, targeting at least 147 to 150 accounts on X (formerly Twitter). According to the Freedom of Expression Association (İFÖD), these accounts collectively reach approximately 2.65 million followers.

The blocked accounts include a wide range of professionals, such as economists, academics, lawyers, journalists, and technical analysts. Notable individuals affected include economist İris Cibre, academic Rıdvan Özturgut, and law professor Yaman Akdeniz. The restrictions reportedly target content related to fund misappropriation, the Narin Güran murder case, and the Furkan Movement.

In addition to X, the crackdown has extended to Instagram and the website of T24. The censorship wave has also impacted various media outlets, human rights organizations, and women's and LGBTQ+ advocacy groups. Labor organizations, such as DİSK Basın-İş, have stated that these recent actions indicate that censorship practices are reaching an institutionalized level.