In late September 2026, Turkey experienced a sharp increase in internet censorship, particularly on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter). A digital rights organization documented nearly 500 accounts being blocked on X between September 22 and 30. These included journalists, economists, and academics who were commenting on a major financial crisis involving investment funds. The restrictions, justified under national security concerns, even affected the researcher documenting the blocks. The crisis began on September 17, 2026, when Turkey's market regulator ordered the liquidation of 131 investment funds managed by seven companies. This decision impacted over 455,000 savers, many of whom had invested all their savings in these funds. The promised returns were far above market rates, leading to public anger over the government's handling of the situation. Five days later, authorities began restricting access to X profiles of analysts and reporters. Among the first targeted were economist Uğur Gürses and journalist Naz Yavuzarslan, who were accused of destabilizing financial markets despite merely sharing public data from the regulator. The censorship orders are based on Article 8/A of Law No. 5651, which allows for the immediate suspension of content deemed a threat to public order. A judge reviews these decisions afterward, but this process gives authorities time to act without prior approval. One week after the initial restrictions, an additional 147 users saw their access blocked. These included financial commentators, academics, and reporters covering the crisis in real time. According to Bianet, an independent news outlet, these profiles had about 2.65 million followers, with five exceeding 100,000. The EngelliWeb monitoring project, which has tracked such blocks for years, also had its page blocked during this period. This wave of restrictions was not limited to economic commentators. As early as September 9, the authorities had already targeted LGBTQ+ associations, feminist organizations, and news agencies. These publications focused on women's rights, independent political coverage, and freedom of expression. Within three weeks, more than ten different categories of users were targeted. In March 2025, X had previously challenged similar orders that blocked over 700 people, calling them illegal. These decisions targeted opposition figures, human rights defenders, and critical media. At that time, X also opposed the blocking of the campaign page of Ekrem İmamoğlu, the imprisoned mayor of Istanbul. However, this time, X did not contest the restrictions. The targeted individuals remain accessible from outside Turkey, as the restrictions only apply to users within the country. VPNs, tools that allow users to bypass geographic filters, are widely used in Turkey. More than 150 additional cases of account blocking were recorded in early October 2026.