A stunning arrest and social media blackout of Istanbul’s mayor has sparked the largest protests in Turkey in over a decade and raised global alarms over democratic backsliding.
At a Glance
- Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested on March 19, 2025, facing corruption and terrorism charges
- Turkish courts blocked his X account under a national security provision
- Protests have erupted nationwide, marking the most intense unrest in ten years
- Legal experts and human rights groups call the arrest politically motivated
- Imamoglu’s popularity has increased sharply since the crackdown
A Blow to Democracy
On March 19, 2025, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu—considered the leading opposition figure to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan—was arrested by Turkish authorities on charges of corruption and ties to terrorism. The arrest came just days before his expected nomination as the CHP’s 2028 presidential candidate, prompting accusations of political sabotage.
The public backlash was immediate and massive. In scenes not seen since the 2013 Gezi Park protests, tens of thousands flooded Istanbul’s streets, waving Turkish flags and chanting for freedom. The demonstrations quickly spread to other major cities, with opposition leaders decrying the arrest as an authoritarian move to eliminate Erdogan’s main electoral rival.
Watch a report at Protests erupt in Türkiye after arrest of Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu.
Silencing on Social Media
Soon after Imamoglu’s detention, Turkish authorities blocked access to his verified X account, which had nearly 10 million followers. Officials invoked Article 8/A of Law No. 5651, a provision allowing digital censorship in the name of national security. Critics argue the vague law is routinely used to suppress dissent.
X (formerly Twitter) complied with the order to avoid nationwide throttling, but the company’s local counsel, Gonenc Gurkaynak, filed a formal objection in Turkish court. The legal challenge argues that the block violates rights to free expression and public access to political speech.
Digital rights groups such as EngelliWeb and Access Now have condemned the move as a “coordinated act of censorship,” pointing to Turkey’s long history of silencing opposition voices through social media bans and access restrictions.
A Symbol of Resistance
Rather than diminishing Imamoglu’s influence, the government’s actions appear to have backfired. A Reuters poll published days after the arrest shows the mayor leading Erdogan by seven points in a hypothetical runoff.
Meanwhile, the opposition-led petition demanding his release has surpassed 13 million signatures, signaling widespread public discontent with the ruling government’s tactics. The message echoed by demonstrators—“We are all Imamoglu”—has become a rallying cry across the country.
International watchdogs including the Council of Europe and Human Rights Watch have called the arrest “a violation of democratic norms”, warning that Turkey’s slide toward authoritarianism could isolate it from democratic allies ahead of critical elections.
