Turkey restricts internet access amid opposition party standoff

Turkish authorities imposed widespread internet throttling for 12 hours on Sunday following clashes between police and opposition supporters trying to prevent a government-appointed trustee from taking control of the Republican People's Party (CHP) Istanbul headquarters.

The restrictions affected YouTube, X, Instagram and WhatsApp access across the country after Turkish security forces used pepper spray to disperse CHP demonstrators in Istanbul's Sarıyer district. Many users resorted to VPN services to circumvent the throttling.

The CHP Istanbul headquarters in the city's northern parts have been surrounded for several days by the party's supporters, aiming to prevent the trustee Gürsel Tekin from taking over the reins of the party’s provincial administration.

Tekin, himself a CHP veteran, has been appointed by the government as a trustee to CHP’s Istanbul administration to replace the incumbent Özgür Çelik, who was democratically elected in a provincial congress back in September 2023.

As the sides continue negotiating, internet access remains spotty across Turkey.

Usually, when access to a website or app is to be blocked, the country’s Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) issues a statement.

However this time the BTK has made no announcements yet. Furthermore, the BTK's website check feature, which allows users to see if a site is blocked, does not indicate any of the social media platforms as being throttled.

As of 5 pm local time (4 pm CEST) on Monday, YouTube, X, Instagram and WhatsApp remain unreachable in the area of Istanbul. Some Turkish citizens living in other provinces in the country have reported that they can access all or some of the services listed above.

The Turkish government has been on the offensive against the main opposition party since mid-March, when the party’s Istanbul mayor and presidential candidate, Ekrem İmamoğlu, was detained and swiftly sent to Silivri prison.

İmamoğlu’s detention was the most notable among multiple arrests of CHP members since.

In the meantime, critics have also claimed that the government has made plans to reinstall Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the CHP’s former president, replacing incumbent leader Özgür Özel, who was elected as party leader at a congress in late 2023.

The trial, which will determine whether Kılıçdaroğlu can come back to helm the party instead of Özel, who has been accused of ousting the former president through alleged bribes, is set to take place in mid-September.

In case Kılıçdaroğlu comes back — a move that could create further divisions within the party, according to experts — he would be able to govern the party for mere six days as CHP delegates responded to the upheaval with a decision to bring the party to an extraordinary congress through a collective vote on 21 September.

Overwhelmingly backed by the current CHP delegates, Özel is the top candidate in the race.

Meanwhile, CHP has been further rocked by defections, after several notable members have switched allegiances, joining the ruling Justice and Development or AK party instead.