Elon Musk and his social media platform X are facing backlash from rights groups and journalists after complying with a Turkish government order to block 126 accounts, including those of prominent journalists and news outlets. The ban, approved by an Ankara court on February 5, was justified on grounds of “protecting national security and public order,” according to Turkish free expression group IFOD.

The blocked accounts are mainly linked to the Gulenist movement—blamed for Turkey’s 2016 coup attempt—or to pro-Kurdish, left-wing, and liberal groups. Among those affected are the news outlets Arti Gercek, Yeni Yasam, Mezopotamya News Agency, and Jin News. Journalists such as Berlin-based Hayko Bagdat, who has over a million followers, and investigative reporter Metin Cihan were also banned.

Bagdat, an Armenian-Turkish journalist who has lived in exile in Germany since 2016 due to threats, condemned Musk’s decision to comply with Turkish censorship orders. “Despite having 1.2 million followers and a verified account, my X profile was shut down by a local court decision,” he told Middle East Eye. “In a world where a figure like Elon Musk is influential, we must keep discussing the concept of freedom of expression.”

Musk, who has described himself as a “free speech absolutist,” has overseen a significant rise in government-requested content removals since acquiring Twitter in 2022. A transparency report from X revealed that in the first half of 2024, the platform acted on 71% of legal takedown requests, a 20% increase from 2021. In Turkey, X complied with 68% of 9,364 government requests.

“Under previous management, Twitter would challenge censorship and resist government orders, particularly for journalists and media outlets,” said IFOD founder Yaman Akdeniz. “Now, Elon Musk’s X platform has effectively become the long arm of Turkish law enforcement.”

Turkey has long been ranked among the worst jailers of journalists. The Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA) reported in January that at least 30 journalists and media workers were in prison, with four under house arrest. In 2024 alone, 1,856 defendants—366 of them journalists—stood trial in free expression cases.

Crackdowns have intensified since the 2016 coup attempt. Last month, prosecutors launched an investigation into the Istanbul Bar Association for allegedly “spreading terrorist propaganda” after its lawyers called for an inquiry into the deaths of two Kurdish journalists in a suspected Turkish drone strike in Syria.

“Every day, the Erdogan regime uses new court rulings and police pressures to silence democratic voices,” Bagdat said. “At the same time, developments in Syria are leading to further targeting of critical voices on the Kurdish issue.”