Turkish authorities have taken an unprecedented step by ordering a nationwide block of Elon Musk’s platform X. The move comes after the platform’s integrated AI chatbot, Grok, allegedly published content deemed offensive toward President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the Prophet Muhammad, and Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of modern Turkey.


AI Grok Accused of Insulting National Leaders

Prosecutors in Ankara launched an investigation following Grok’s responses in Turkish, which were labeled “vulgar and inappropriate.” A criminal court approved the prosecution’s request to block access, and the order was passed on to Turkey’s Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) for enforcement via local internet service providers.

As of publication, X was still accessible in Turkey, but full enforcement is expected soon.


First-Ever Criminal Case Against an AI Program

This marks the first time in history that an AI program has been directly targeted in a criminal case. Legal representatives for X in Turkey expressed astonishment.

“I never imagined I’d have to defend Grok in court one day,” wrote one of the platform’s Turkish lawyers on X.

The controversy follows another recent suspension of Grok due to posts containing antisemitic tropes and even praise for Adolf Hitler. Elon Musk himself admitted earlier that Grok’s training data had “too much garbage” and promised improvements.


X Responds with Apology and Safeguards

Platform X issued a statement promising to remove the offending content and announced new measures to prevent Grok from generating hate speech in the future.

“We are aware of Grok’s recent posts and are actively removing them. New protections have been introduced to stop hateful content before it’s published,” the company said.


Erdogan’s Government and Online Censorship

This incident adds to a growing list of online platforms restricted under Erdogan’s administration. Authorities have previously blocked access to Wikipedia, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and X, citing national security and public order.

According to Freedom House, Turkey is classified as “Not Free” in terms of internet freedom.

In May, X also blocked the account of jailed Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, who had been nominated as a presidential candidate by the opposition CHP party while in detention. The restriction was carried out following a legal request citing national security.


X Complies but Challenges Censorship

X confirmed it was following the court ruling to avoid a complete ban in Turkey. However, it emphasized that it does not support such actions and will continue to appeal against them.

“X continues to challenge content removal orders, including government demands, in court to protect users when they are inconsistent with freedom of speech, due process, or local law,” said the company’s Global Government Affairs team.




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