Social networks blocked in Turkey amid opposition protests

On September 8, 2025, Turkey experienced significant access disruptions to major social platforms — X, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and WhatsApp. According to international internet monitors NetBlocks and the Association for Freedom of Expression, issues began around 20:45 UTC (approximately 23:45 local time) and manifested as slowed connections and partial service blockages.

The outages coincided with calls for mass protests by the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), whose supporters took to the streets after police set up barricades around the party headquarters in Istanbul. Earlier, a court annulled the results of its congress, which the CHP leader called a "legal coup," triggering both political and law enforcement escalation.

In such a context, social media restrictions become part of a mechanism to control information space and respond to rising protests. It should be noted that Telegram was not mentioned in official reports as a restricted platform.

Internet service providers and relevant regulators, including the Access Providers Union, have not commented on the reasons or duration of the outages. This is another episode in Turkey’s internet regulation history, where restrictions and blocks have again become a tool to curb protest potential.