Turkey is witnessing a growing wave of social media restrictions and account suspensions targeting opposition media outlets, journalists, civil society organisations, political parties and individual users.
According to the Freedom of Expression Association (İFÖD), thousands of opposition profiles, particularly on X (formerly Twitter), have been made inaccessible to users in Turkey.
The latest target is the Workers’ Party of Turkey (TİP), whose official X account, @tipgenelmerkez, with approximately 582,000 followers, has been blocked under Article 8/A of Law No. 5651, according to İFÖD. The restrictions follow a wider wave of censorship, reportedly intensifying after the exposure of a major fund embezzlement scandal involving tens of billions of dollars.
TİP won four seats in Turkey’s 2023 parliamentary elections. One of its elected MPs, Can Atalay, who represents Hatay, remains imprisoned at Marmara (Silivri) Prison, serving an 18-year sentence in connection with the Gezi Park case.
These developments raise grave concerns about freedom of expression, political representation and the right of the public to access information. Silencing opposition voices and restricting access to political platforms undermine democracy, and SPOT stands with the people of Turkey, journalists, activists and all those defending freedom of expression, democratic rights and justice in Turkey.