Turkey Blocks Access to Instagram Amid Dispute Over Censorship of Ismail Haniyeh Posts

Aug 2, 2024, 05:25 AM

Turkey has blocked access to Instagram across the entire country, according to the country's communications authority. The decision, announced on Friday, appears to be an administrative move by the communications authority BTK rather than a court ruling. While no official reason for the ban was provided, it is speculated that the action is related to Instagram's recent removal of posts about Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated by Israel. A senior aide to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Fahrettin Altun, had criticized Instagram for censoring posts related to Haniyeh's death. The ban has left the platform's mobile app inaccessible in Turkey.