Political situation in Turkey

X closes down accounts of opposition Turks

Several opposition figures in Turkey have had their accounts on X closed, Politico reports.

There are widespread demonstrations against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after his main challenger Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested.

Several of the largest demonstrations are linked to various universities in the country and the accounts that have been closed belong to activists with connections to the schools, according to Yusuf Can, an analyst at the Wilson Center's Middle East department.

The Turkish government has previously stated that it has found more than 300 accounts on social media that "incite hatred." Neither X nor owner Elon Musk, who claims to defend freedom of expression, have commented on the closures.

Imamoglu denies crimes: "Unimaginable slander"

Istanbul's arrested mayor Ekrem Imamoglu denies the corruption and terrorism charges against him, according to court documents seen by Reuters.

"I and my colleagues are facing unimaginable accusations and slander," he said during the interrogation.

Imamoglu is Turkey's most popular opposition politician and is seen as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's main challenger. He, and several others in his party, were arrested this week and accused of showing support for the terrorist PKK and for corruption. Critics and protesters say the arrests are arbitrary and undemocratic

Imamoglu is being questioned again as protests grow

Istanbul's arrested mayor Ekrem Imamoglu will continue to be questioned by police on Saturday, writes AP. Today's questioning concerns terror-related suspicions and comes a day after Imamoglu was questioned for several hours on suspicions of corruption.

Imamoglu is Turkey's most popular opposition politician and is widely seen as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's main challenger. His arrest earlier this week and that of other opposition politicians have led to protests that have grown larger by the day.

On Friday, police used rubber bullets and pepper spray to disperse demonstrators in central Istanbul. Large protests have also taken place in several other cities, including the capital Ankara.