Turkey blocked access to social media platform Instagram on Friday for failing to comply with the country’s “laws and rules,” a government minister said. The move followed accusations from a senior Turkish official that the platform had blocked condolence posts after the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
“We warned Instagram about certain offences. We want some rules to be followed… We intervene when they disregard legal rules and public sensitivities,” Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu stated. “We are in contact with them. Our sensitivities are clear, and as soon as they correct those shortcomings, we will remove the ban. This is a country with laws and rules,” he added, without specifying the exact shortcomings.
Access to Instagram has been restricted in Turkey following the ban implemented by authorities after a court order on Friday, according to internet observatory NetBlocks. Turkish communications official Fahrettin Altun criticized Instagram on Wednesday for allegedly blocking condolence posts after Haniyeh was killed in Tehran, calling it “censorship, pure and simple.”
There was no immediate comment from Instagram’s parent company, Meta Platforms Inc (META.O), on either the ban or Altun’s comments. Turkey’s Information Technologies and Communication Authority (BTK) published the August 2 decision on its website.
