Jailed İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, the main opposition New Party’s presidential candidate, on Thursday urged the public to buy newspapers and follow independent journalists and subscribe to their channels in response to a growing crackdown on critical media.
In a message posted on his Presidential Candidate Office account on X, İmamoğlu accused the government of depriving the public of its right to information by targeting television stations, news websites and social media accounts.
“They have declared war on you, my people! The profiteers are playing their last card with a media grab, depriving the public of its right to information,” he said.
“Stand up against the enemies of the people and respond by buying newspapers. Read them, get others to read them, spread the word. … Speak up and encourage others to speak up,” he added.
He named newspapers spanning a range of political views, including Sözcü, Cumhuriyet, Karar and BirGün, and encouraged readers to follow independent journalists and subscribe to their channels.
İmamoğlu has been jailed since March 2025 on corruption-related charges that he describes as politically motivated.
His appeal comes ahead of nationwide demonstrations that Turkish press organizations have called for October 24 against journalist arrests, state takeovers of opposition media and restrictions on access to news. The protests will mark the first anniversary of the state takeover of the pro-opposition TELE1 television station.
On October 14 an İstanbul court placed Halk TV, another leading pro-opposition broadcaster, under the management of the state-run Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF). Police raided its İstanbul headquarters, and live broadcasts were halted. Its X account, with around 3 million followers, was also targeted by an access-blocking order.
The takeover was ordered as part of an investigation into allegations of bribery, bid rigging and money laundering involving Halk TV owner Cafer Mahiroğlu. He and opposition figures have described the move as an attempt to silence critical reporting.
An İstanbul court also ordered access blocked to independent news website T24 and its social media accounts in a September 29 decision, citing 118 items prosecutors characterized as “LGBT propaganda.”
The Freedom of Expression Association (İFÖD) reported blocking orders targeting at least 1,270 X accounts in September, including those belonging to journalists, news organizations, academics, economists and rights groups. X subsequently withheld about 90 percent of the accounts in Turkey.
The Committee to Protect Journalists warned on October 12 that the crackdown was approaching a “crisis point,” saying at least 22 journalists had been arrested or detained under Turkey’s disinformation law this year.
Turkey was ranked 163rd out of 180 countries and territories in Reporters Without Borders’ 2026 World Press Freedom Index, down from 159th the previous year. The watchdog estimates that 90 percent of the country’s national media outlets are under government control.
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