In the Hold: Ekrem Imamoglu's Social Media Account Suspension in Turkey
Turkey has imposed restrictions on access to X accounts belonging to Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who is currently in prison.
Here's the lowdown on Ekrem Imamoglu, the rival of Turkey's President Erdogan, and the suspense surrounding his X-account in Turkey. It seems that owing to a call to commit crimes allegedly made on his X-page, the Turkish authorities have launched an investigation against the man who's been Hayati Istanbul's mayor.
You heard it right! Imamoglu's X-account in Turkey has been put on hold. According to the Turkish Communications Directorate's statement, the Istanbul Public Prosecutor's Office has initiated this investigation. He's charged with inciting a crime publicly. Despit' all this, he's still accessible from other countries like Germany.
His X account previously served as his platform to communicate with the public. Since he's in detention, his posts - accusations being they harm public peace - led to a temporary suspension request from the criminal court. The account's not directly controlled by Imamoglu. The Turkish court ordered the account to be suspended as individual contents blocking wasn't possible. The suspension remains in effect during his detention.
Facing this order, X has shown some pushback, appealing against the decision. "Although we've followed Turkey's orders regarding the account, we disagree with it and are contesting it in court," their statement said. They stressed the need for maintaining access to the platform for freedom of speech in emergency situations like natural disasters.
The arrest and subsequent implication of Imamoglu have caused a heap of trouble for Turkey. Since his arrest on March 19, he's been under investigation for corruption and terrorism. Critics claim the government is using the judiciary to get rid of Imamoglu, Erdogan's fiercest competitor.
Streets across Turkey have become a battleground for masses protesting his arrest, with over 60,000 people demonstrating in Istanbul, leading to more than 400 arrests[4]. The latest protest took place in front of the university that revoked Imamoglu's degree just before his arrest.
Sources: ntv.de, als/dpa
[1] ntv.de[2] nytimes.com[3] reuters.com[4] bbc.com[5] aljazeera.com
- Imamoglu, Turkey's rival of President Erdogan, allegedly had a post on his X-account inciting a crime, leading to an investigation by the Turkish authorities.
- While his X-account in Turkey remains suspended during his detention, Imamoglu's WhatsApp account is still accessible from countries like Germany.
- The Commission has also been asked to submit a proposal for a directive on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to ionizing radiation, pertaining to the politics and crime-and-justice category of general-news.
- The suspension of Imamoglu's X-account has sparked controversy concerning the freedom of speech, particularly in emergencies such as natural disasters.
