Following major backlash after the arrest of İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, the Governor’s Office has ordered a four-day protest ban in the city, alongside road and metro closures to demonstration sites and the police headquarters where İmamoğlu is detained. Local press releases have also been banned for the duration, while metrics show widespread restrictions on social media platforms across the country.
The restrictions, allegedly to “maintain public order” were announced by İstanbul Governorate Provincial Press and Public Relations Directorate just hours after İmamoğlu and 105 other opposition figures had been arrested in a coordinated operation early Wednesday morning:
"In order to maintain public order throughout the province and to prevent any provocative actions that may occur, all kinds of meetings, demonstrations and press releases have been banned for 4 days between 19 and 23 March by our Governorship."
According to the Governor’s statement, roads leading to the police station and İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality headquarters, both in the Fatih district, will remain closed until further notice. Defying the ban, İmamoğlu’s supporters have gathered in front of the barricades, chanting slogans in protest.
“Gün Gelecek Devran Dönecek AKP Halka Hesap Verecek”
Gözaltına alınan
İBB başkanı #Ekremİmamoğlu‘nun getirildiği Vatan Emniyet Müdürlüğü’ne çıkan yollar barikatlarla kapatıldı.Vatan Caddesi Adnan Menderes Bulvarı tamamen barikatlarla kapatıldı. CHP’liler Adnan Menderes… pic.twitter.com/7uFmOZITnB
— Fatoş Erdoğan (@puleragema) March 19, 2025
Along with the protest ban and barricades, the authorities have ordered the closure of metro lines to Taksim Square, the city’s main demonstration site, and to stations near the Police HQ.
Several social media platforms were also restricted in Turkey after İmamoğlu was taken into custody on Wednesday morning. According to data shared by internet freedom monitoring platform NetBlocks, widely used platforms including X, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok were among those affected.
The decision-making authority behind the restrictions remains unclear, with neither the Ministry of Transport nor the Presidential Directorate of Communications commenting, though similar decisions have previously come from the Directorate.
İmamoğlu, widely regarded as Erdoğan’s strongest potential challenger in future elections, is currently facing multiple investigations. While the government describes these as “judicial processes”, political analysts argue that the President is leveraging these legal actions to undermine him.
