Turkey Bans Instagram Access, Giving No Justification Or Time Limit
Instagram access has been restricted in Turkey, according to a Friday announcement by the nation’s information and technology agency.
Millions of people have been unable to access the app due to the unexpected restriction, and the authorities have not given any official justification or timeframe for the block.
The move was made, according to Reuters, in response to criticism from Turkish communications official Fahrettin Altun on Wednesday regarding Instagram’s purported censorship of postings expressing condolences for the death of Ismail Haniyeh, a prominent figure in the Palestinian militant organization Hamas.
On X, the Turkish presidency’s head of communications, Altun, stated, “This is censorship, pure and simple.”
The parent business of Instagram, Meta Platforms Inc. (META.O), has not yet addressed the ban or Altun’s comments.
The ruling was posted on the website of Turkey’s Information Technologies and Communication Authority (BTK) on August 2.
