Turkey’s communications authority blocked access to Instagram. The authority did not provide a reason for the block. Still, Turkish media reported that it was in response to Instagram removing posts by Turkish users that expressed condolences over the deaths of soldiers killed in a clash with Kurdish militants.
Turkey has blocked access to Instagram, the country’s information technology regulator announced on Friday. They did not provide a reason or say how long the ban will last.
This decision came after Fahrettin Altun, a Turkish communications official, criticized Instagram for blocking condolence messages about the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, a leader of the Palestinian group Hamas. Altun called this action “censorship.”
Unlike its Western allies, Turkey does not consider Hamas to be a terror organization. A strong critic of Israel’s military actions in Gaza, Erdogan has described the group as “liberation fighters”. The country is observing a day of mourning for Haniyeh on Friday, during which flags will be flown at half-staff.
Instagram’s parent company, Meta Platforms Inc., has not yet responded to the ban or Altun’s comments.
According to Turkish media, there are more than 50 million users signed up to Instagram in Turkey, out of a population of 85 million. The decision sparked mockery on other social media networks such as X.
A meme showing a congested metro station with the tagline: “X when Turks wake up to find that Instagram is blocked”, began trending on the platform.
“Instagram is blocked in Turkey, life is over”, wrote user “CringeOfMaster” alongside a picture of a grieving man. Others mockingly asked Instagram users where they could see their doctored images now.
The Turkish regulator posted the decision to block Instagram on its website but did not provide more details. Some people on social media mocked the situation with memes and jokes, highlighting the ban’s impact on daily life.
History Of Digital Blockage
This is not the first time Turkey has blocked social media sites. Wikipedia was blocked from 2017 to 2020 over content that the government found controversial. Facebook’s Threads network was also suspended in Turkey earlier this year. Moreover, the video-sharing platform YouTube was blocked from 2007 to 2010.
In April, Facebook owner Meta suspended its Threads social network in Turkey following authorities’ decision to prevent it from sharing information with Instagram.
It is unclear how long the block will last. In the past, the Turkish government has lifted blocks on social media platforms after a few days or weeks. The block is likely to have a negative impact on businesses and individuals who rely on Instagram for communication and marketing.
