Turkey Blocked Instagram Following Reactions To Content Regarding Hamas

After receiving criticism about Hamas-related content from a high ranking government official, Turkey suspended access to Instagram.

Instagram access has been prohibited in Turkey, according to BTK, the country’s communications authority. 

The decision was made on Friday and came after a top government official criticized the platform for how it handled Hamas-related information.

The ban follows accusations made by Fahrettin Altun, the director of communications for the Turkish presidency, that Instagram was “censoring” messages of sympathy in response to the murder of Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas. 

Altun called the action on Instagram “censorship,” claiming that the platform had deleted photos without providing specific policy violations.

Along with his bodyguard, Haniyeh, a close supporter of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was slain in Tehran on Wednesday. 

Although Israel has not yet responded, Hamas and Iran have accused Israel of being behind the strike.

The BTK’s notice lacked information regarding the reason(s) and length of the ban. 

There are more than 50 million Instagram users in Turkey, according to Turkish media reports. On X (previously Twitter), a number of Turkish users vented about their annoyance at not being able to access Instagram.

Expert in Turkish digital law Yaman Akdeniz questioned the validity of the decision and called the restriction “arbitrary.”

On other social media sites, the prohibition has provoked comments and memes that make light of the circumstance.

Instagram’s owner, Meta Platforms Inc., has not yet responded to comments made by Altun over the ban.