section_path: Social media crackdown
section_name: Social media crackdown
paragraph_text: Social media crackdown
  
  In response to the widespread protests following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, the Turkish government intensified its control over social media platforms. Interior Minister of Turkey Ali Yerlikaya announced on the morning of 20 March that law enforcement had identified 261 "suspect account managers" who allegedly shared content "inciting the public to hatred and hostility" and " incitement to commit a crime." Authorities detained thirty-seven individuals in connection with these allegations, with efforts continuing to apprehend additional suspects.
  
  Despite the platform's refusal statements, X (formerly Twitter), owned by Elon Musk, complied with government orders to suspend approximately 700 accounts, including those of journalists, activists, and opposition figures. The majority of which were "university-associated activist accounts, basically sharing protest information, locations for students to go," according to Yusuf Can, coordinator and analyst at the Wilson Center's Middle East Program, who also noted that many of them are "grassroots activists" with their followings in the low tens of thousands. This action drew significant criticism from free speech advocates, who accused Musk of a double standard, given his self-proclaimed stance as a "free speech absolutist."
  
  Companies such as Twitter and Meta censored social media posts related to the protests at the government's request.