On Friday, August 2, Instagram was blocked in Turkey, leaving tourists and residents unable to access the popular social media platform.
Turkish authorities' dissatisfaction with Instagram's recent actions
According to Ziare Turkish officials have not provided an official explanation for the ban, but previous statements from the Presidential Communications Director offer a possible reason.
International tourists vacationing in Turkey are among those affected, unable to share their holiday photos on Instagram. The Ankara Communications Authority announced on its website that access to the social media platform has been restricted.
The likely cause of the block is Turkish authorities' dissatisfaction with Instagram's recent actions.
Instagram had deleted condolence messages following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. Fahrettin Altun, the Presidential Communications Director, expressed his outrage on the social media platform X, calling the deletions "pure censorship."
Not the First Time
Friday, August 2, is a national day of mourning in Turkey following the assassination of the Hamas leader by Israeli forces. Hamas is not considered a terrorist organization in Turkey, and Instagram's decision to remove condolence messages has angered Turkish officials. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan referred to the Hamas official as a "martyr."
This is not the first time Turkey has temporarily banned access to social media platforms. Similar measures have been taken in the past during natural disasters or terrorist attacks for "security reasons."
