Turkey resumes Instagram ban amid censorship accusations
(MENAFN) Turkey has extended its block on Instagram for a second consecutive day, according to a report by Agence France-Presse. This move follows accusations from a senior Turkish official alleging that the platform has been censoring posts. The Turkish Information and Communication Technologies Authority announced the decision on its website, linking the block to a system designed to prevent access to "criminal content," although further specifics were not provided.
Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Oraloglu stated on Friday that the ban was enacted because Instagram did not address the concerns over criminal content, despite prior warnings. He emphasized that the restriction will remain in place until the platform complies with Turkish laws. Fahrettin Altun, head of the Turkish presidency's communications department, criticized Instagram on Wednesday for allegedly blocking messages of condolence for Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the Hamas political bureau, who passed away recently. Altun condemned this as a form of censorship on the platform.
In response to Haniyeh's death, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared a national day of mourning on Friday. Haniyeh had spent considerable time in Turkey before the recent escalation in Gaza began on October 7. Instagram, which has over 50 million users in Turkey, is part of a broader pattern of social media censorship by Turkish authorities, who have previously restricted access to platforms like Facebook and Twitter (now X) following various incidents.
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