Social media restrictions enforced in Turkey following protests from opposing groups
In recent days, Istanbul, Turkey has seen disruptions affecting several social media platforms and messaging applications. The affected platforms include Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, Twitter (now known as X), TikTok, Facebook, Telegram, and Signal.
The restrictions on these platforms were imposed following government restrictions on protests in six Istanbul districts, which led to the banning of demonstrations for four days starting September 7. The social media limitations followed a court decision to remove Istanbul's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leadership and appoint trustees in their place.
The continuation of the blockade occurs under Türkiye's October 2022 "disinformation law" that permits authorities to implement bandwidth restrictions on social media platforms. However, it is important to note that as of September 2025, there are no publicly documented reports or organizations that have confirmed major restrictions on these platforms in Turkey on Sunday.
Many Turkish citizens have been using virtual private networks (VPNs) to circumvent internet restrictions. VPNs allow users to access blocked content by creating secure connections and routing internet traffic through computers in other countries.
The CHP had called for rallies in response to the court ruling, and the CHP headquarters in Istanbul was blockaded prior to the social media restrictions. The incident came as the main opposition party called for rallies after the blockade of its Istanbul headquarters.
Isik Mater, director of research at NetBlocks, an organization that monitors internet censorship globally, confirmed the restrictions on its platform. According to Mater, there is no improvement at this time. NetBlocks reported the blockade of these social media platforms.
The blockade of these platforms is reminiscent of the internet restrictions experienced during Ekrem Imamoglu's arrest. The restrictions occurred on multiple networks, affecting users in Turkey who experienced widespread disruptions accessing major social media platforms and messaging applications on Sunday.
The event marks the second time these social media platforms have been blocked in recent memory. The disruptions follow a pattern of increasing internet censorship in Turkey, raising concerns about freedom of speech and democratic values.
