Facebook parent Meta on Tuesday said it was fined a “substantial amount” in Turkey for failing to comply with government orders to suspend accounts linked to widespread protests following the detention of the opposition mayor of Istanbul.

“We believe freedom of expression is a fundamental right and that our platforms should be a place where users around the world can exercise this right,” a Meta spokesperson said in a statement.

“Government requests to restrict speech online alongside threats to shut down online services are severe and have a chilling effect on people’s ability to express themselves,” it added.

Distrust erodes hopes for permanent peace in Turkiye’s Kurdish heartland

Meta declined to give the exact amount of the fine.

Elon Musk-owned X has also received orders to suspend hundreds of accounts, which the company has largely complied with as it fights the demands in courts.

According to Politico, most of the X accounts belonged to university-linked activists sharing protest information and were suspended in Turkey only.

Since March 19, Turkey has been gripped by massive anti-government protests following the arrest of Istanbul’s opposition mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, the biggest political rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The protests have been met with a sharp crackdown, prompting opposition leader Ozgur Ozel to call for a boycott of businesses allegedly close to Erdogan’s government.

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