Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, has suspended numerous accounts belonging to opposition figures in Turkey amid widespread civil unrest following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. Despite Musk’s self-proclaimed commitment to free speech, which he cited as a reason for acquiring X, accounts supporting İmamoğlu have been blocked on the platform. Observers note that content from Istanbul is now “significantly restricted,” particularly affecting university-based activists who share protest information. Yusuf Can, an analyst at the Wilson Center, highlighted that many suspended accounts belonged to grassroots activists with tens of thousands of followers. Some accounts appear blocked only within Turkey but remain active elsewhere. Activist Ömer Faruk Aslan mentioned his account was suspended due to tweets exceeding six million views under judicial orders. Meanwhile, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya claimed authorities identified 326 social media accounts inciting hatred, leading to the arrest of 54 suspects tied to these accounts. Over 343 people were detained during protests across major cities. These suspensions may be legal under Turkish law, especially a 2022 statute granting expansive powers to suppress content. This isn’t Musk’s first such move; last year, X restricted content during Erdoğan’s reelection campaign to ensure platform availability. Additionally, access to platforms like X, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube remains limited in Turkey, according to Netblocks. X complied with about 86% of Turkish government takedown requests in Q2 2024 compared to 68% earlier, although this rate is lower than the EU’s 90%, Turkey submits far more removal requests per capita.