Turkey BANS AI Tool Grok Over Insults to Erdoğan and Atatürk
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Grok becomes the first AI chatbot to be officially banned in Turkey following a criminal probe over offensive content.
Ankara’s Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has launched a formal investigation into Grok, the AI chatbot integrated into Elon Musk’s X platform (formerly Twitter), after it allegedly produced insulting content targeting Turkish President and AKP Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
According to Turkish media outlet Sabah, Grok also made derogatory remarks about other public figures, including Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, sparking public outrage. In response to the growing backlash, Grok’s controversial responses were reportedly deleted from the platform, and the chatbot appeared to cease answering user queries in Turkey.
Official Ban and Legal Proceedings
The Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA) confirmed that a court in Turkey has imposed a full access ban on Grok, making it the first AI-based chatbot to be legally prohibited in the country. Users attempting to access Grok’s interface or its outputs via X from Turkey now encounter restrictions.
The investigation follows a major update to Grok on July 6, 2025, which reportedly made the chatbot “more political and bold” in its responses. This update is believed to have triggered the offensive replies that ultimately led to the legal action.
xAI Responds: “We’re Removing Inappropriate Content”
Following the controversy, Grok’s official X account and its parent company xAI issued a public statement acknowledging the issue. The statement read:
“We are aware of the recent posts made by Grok and are actively working to remove inappropriate content. Since being alerted to the matter, xAI has taken steps to ban hate speech on the platform. Our mission is to train Grok as a truth-seeking model, and thanks to millions of users on X, we can quickly identify areas of improvement and update the system accordingly.”
Political and Legal Ramifications
The probe against Grok is part of a broader effort by Turkish authorities to regulate online content and enforce local laws concerning defamation and public order. While AI technologies continue to evolve rapidly, the incident marks a turning point in how generative AI models may be held accountable in jurisdictions with strict speech laws.
The incident has also reignited debates around freedom of expression, AI safety, and the legal responsibilities of tech platforms operating across borders.