Early Friday, Turkish authorities blocked access to Instagram. Reports suggest the action followed the platform’s removal of posts expressing condolences for Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated.
The Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK), responsible for internet regulation, announced the block but did not provide specific reasons. The BTK simply stated on its website that “instagram.com has been blocked by a decision on Aug. 2, 2024,” without further details.
Media outlets like Yeni Şafak reported that the block came after Instagram removed posts by Turkish users mourning Haniyeh’s death. Yeni Şafak criticized Instagram’s actions, saying, “Sanctions for Instagram’s blackout policy were swift. The Information Technologies and Communication Authority blocked access to Instagram.”
In contrast, a BTK official told Turkish media that the restriction was due to “criminal content” on Instagram. The platform was reportedly asked to remove content related to “insults to Atatürk,” the founding father of modern Türkiye, as well as “drug games and paedophilia.”
The block follows comments from Fahrettin Altun, the presidential communications director and aide to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Altun accused Instagram of censoring condolences for Haniyeh, calling it “censorship, pure and simple.” He criticized the platform for not citing any policy violations and vowed to defend freedom of speech against what he described as a “global exploitative system of injustice.”
Haniyeh was killed along with his bodyguard in a predawn strike in Tehran, sparking fears of a wider regional conflict. His death has led to major protests, including in Türkiye. The country is observing a day of mourning, with flags flown at half-staff.
Haniyeh, Hamas’s lead negotiator for a truce and hostage release deal in Gaza, was in Tehran for President Masoud Pezeshkian’s inauguration. His death has sent shockwaves around the world. Haniyeh was a close ally of President Erdoğan and last visited him in Istanbul in April.
Instagram, which has over 50 million users in Türkiye, has yet to comment on the block. An anonymous BTK source warned that the platform could be permanently blocked if it doesn’t resolve the issues.
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