In a recent move, Turkey's communications authority has decided to block access to the popular social media platform Instagram. The decision was announced by the Information and Communication Technologies Authority, which did not provide a specific reason for the action.
Reports suggest that the blockage came in response to Instagram removing posts by Turkish users expressing condolences for the killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh. This move was met with swift sanctions from the Turkish authorities, resulting in the blocking of access to Instagram across the country.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's aide strongly criticized Instagram for preventing users in Turkey from posting messages of condolences for Haniyeh. The platform, owned by Meta, has a significant user base in Turkey, with over 50 million users in a country of 85 million people.
Turkey's stance on Hamas differs from that of its Western allies, as it does not consider the group a terrorist organization. Erdogan has previously referred to Hamas as 'liberation fighters' and has been vocal in his criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza.
The country is currently observing a day of mourning for Haniyeh, with flags flown at half-staff in his honor. However, the decision to block Instagram has faced criticism from opposition figures, with Istanbul's mayor denouncing the move as an act of censorship.
Turkey has a history of censoring social media and websites, with hundreds of thousands of domains reportedly blocked since 2022. This latest incident adds to the ongoing debate surrounding freedom of expression and online censorship in the country.
Notably, YouTube was also blocked in Turkey from 2007 to 2010, highlighting the government's approach to regulating online content.
