Türkiye has blocked access to Instagram for the estimated 50 million of its citizens with accounts on the image sharing platform. /Yasin Akgul/AFP
Turkiye has blocked access to Instagram for the estimated 50 million of its citizens with accounts on the image sharing platform, for failing to comply with the country's "laws and rules," a government minister said.
While the country's communications regulator has not commented on the move, it comes just days after protests from a top adviser to President Erdogan over Instagram's alleged blocking of pro-Palestinian content.
Fahrettin Altun, Head of Communications for the ruling Justice and Development party accused Instagram of "preventing people from posting messages of condolences for the passing of Hamas leader Haniyeh."
Turkiye blocked access to social media platform Instagram on Friday.
"We warned Instagram about certain offenses. We want some rules to be followed ... We intervene when they disregard legal rules and public sensitivities," Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said.
"We are in contact with them. Our sensitivities are clear, as soon as they correct those shortcomings, we will remove the ban. This is a country with laws and rules," Uraloglu added.
He did not clarify what the shortcomings were.
Support for Hamas has increased in Turkiye, since Israel began its war in Gaza following the October 7 attacks.
Hamas leader Haniyeh (pictured above) was killed in Iran earlier this week. /Reuters
Ismail Haniyeh had a home in Istanbul and was a frequent guest of Erdogan at the President's Dolmabahce Palace residence in the city.
Hours after Turkiye helped facilitate a prisoner swap between the U.S. and Russia, Erdogan told President Biden by phone that Haniyeh's killing had dealt a "heavy blow" to ceasefire efforts in Gaza.
The ban on Instagram, which took effect early morning on August 2, has been attacked by opposition groups in Turkiye. However, other social media platforms including Facebook and X remain in use.
In a post on X, the Republican mayor of Istanbul Ekrem Imamoglu said he would "urge the authorities to reconsider (the ban), adding that "limiting access to social media platforms stifles free expression and hinders the flow of information."
However the AKP has defended the move with Fahrettin Altun accusing Instagram of "censorship, pure and simple" over Haniyeh's death.
Erdogan's own Instagram account published a message early on Friday, despite being inaccessible in Turkiye. The post wishing his 11.6 million followers a "Blessed Friday," was removed a short time later.
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