Published on: March 23, 2025
Turkey has reportedly limited access to several major social media platforms in the wake of the detention of the country’s leading political rival.
The disruptions started early Wednesday, Internet monitoring service NetBlocks reports. Local media indicated that many users across Turkey faced difficulties logging in, refreshing feeds, or sharing content on social media platforms.
According to NetBlocks, Telegram, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, Twitter/X, and TikTok were either barely accessible or completely blocked in some areas of the country.
X and YouTube users said they experience slow loading times and frequent connection failures. Instagram users faced issues loading profiles and stories, and in some cases, users were unable to access the platforms entirely.
However, the Turkish government has yet to officially confirm any internet blocks.
Unsurprisingly, this has led to a significant surge in VPN usage as citizens seek to bypass government-imposed restrictions on social media platforms. Proton VPN, one of the top VPN providers on the market, reported an 1,100% increase in sign-ups over the baseline.
The social media censorship follows the detention of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, a prominent rival to President Tayyip Erdoğan. İmamoğlu’s detention on charges of corruption and alleged links to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) has been widely condemned as politically motivated, aiming to hinder his potential presidential candidacy.
The reason behind the measures is likely to disrupt communication among protesters and hinder access to independent reporting.
In addition to social media restrictions, the government has also imposed a 4-day ban on public gatherings in Istanbul and enforced road closures.These measures, however, have sparked further demonstrations.
This isn’t the first time Turkey has implemented such measures. In August 2024, Instagram was blocked in the country, making it inaccessible without a VPN. At that time, Turkey, which has good relations with the Islamist group Hamas, accused Instagram of censoring messages of condolence for the deceased Hamas leader.
If you’re planning on visiting Turkey soon, you can check out our VPN recommendations for accessing Instagram securely from Turkey.