On August 2, 2024, Turkey’s national communications authority, the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) announced the blocking of access to Instagram across the country. This came after a controversy surrounding the removal of posts related to the killing of Ismail Haniyeh.
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On August 2, 2024, Information Technologies and Communication Authority (BTK) officially blocked Instagram.
The decision was published on the BTK website, leaving users unable to access the platform via both mobile apps and web browsers.
The announcement did not provide a specific reason or duration for the ban, leaving millions of users in the dark about the future of their access to the popular social media platform.
More than 50 million Instagram users in Turkey, out of a population of 85 million are affected by the ban.
Many expressed frustration and confusion on other social media platforms particularly X about their inability to refresh their Instagram feeds.
The incident follows accusations by Fahrettin Altun, the Communications Director of the Turkish Presidency, who accused Instagram of blocking messages of condolence for Ismail Haniyeh, the political chief of Hamas. He was killed in Tehran with the attack being attributed to Israel.
Ismail Haniyeh is considered a close ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. His death has resonated deeply within Turkey with Erdoğan declaring a day of national mourning.
Altun labeled Instagram’s actions as censorship, pure and simple, criticizing the platform for not providing any policy violations as justification for blocking the condolence posts.
Ismail Haniyeh was the political leader of Hamas, a Palestinian Islamist political organization and militant group regarded by many Western nations as a terrorist organization but considered by Turkey as liberation fighters.
Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran, Iran, on Wednesday, August 1, 2024 along with his bodyguard. Iran and Hamas have blamed Israel for the assassination, but Israel has not commented on the incident.
Turkey led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan does not classify Hamas as a terrorist organization. Instead Erdogan has voiced strong support for the group often criticizing Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
Turkey observed a national day of mourning for Haniyeh with flags flown at half-staff and official condolences issued by government officials.
Instagram allegedly removed posts by Turkish users expressing condolences and support for Haniyeh.
Fahrettin Altun, Turkey’s presidential communications director, publicly criticized Instagram, accusing the platform of censorship for blocking content related to Haniyeh’s death.
He stated, “This is censorship, pure and simple,” and accused Meta of serving “the global system of exploitation and injustice.”
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The BTK, Turkey’s national communications authority blocked access to Instagram early on Friday, August 2, 2024, without providing an official explanation or stating the duration of the ban.
Abdulkadir Uraloglu, Turkey’s Minister of Transport and Infrastructure accused Instagram of ignoring Turkey’s societal sensitivities and breaching regulations. He claimed Instagram’s actions constituted serious crimes including incitement and obscenity.
Deputy Minister Omer Fatih Sayan argued that Instagram and other Western platforms apply double standards, providing better responses to issues in Western countries than in Turkey. He addressed the need for social media that respects Turkish values and is free of disinformation.
Turkey has a history of blocking access to social media and websites including YouTube from 2007 to 2010. According to the Freedom of Expression Association, hundreds of thousands of domains have been blocked since 2022.
Between April 2017 and January 2020, Wikipedia was inaccessible due to articles alleging connections between the Turkish presidency and extremism.
As of now, Meta Platforms Inc. has not issued any official comment regarding the ban or the accusations made by Turkish officials.
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