Turkey blocks Instagram access

Turkey’s communications authority blocked access to Instagram on Friday, another instance of the country tightening its grip on certain websites and social media.

Turkey’s Information and Communication Technologies Authority, which regulates the internet, announced Friday that it had restricted access to the site, The Associated Press reported.

Local media said Instagram was now blocked as part of a response to the site removing posts by Turkish users who expressed condolences over the recent killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, the AP reported.

Turkey’s Deputy Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Ömer Fatih Sayan posted on social platform X that Western countries receive better response from service providers like Instagram when they have issues and Turkey demands “the same sensitivity and fairness.”

“We want the safe, clean and fair content mechanism that these platforms offer in countries where they comply with their rules to be valid in Turkey as well,” he said. “This double standard applied by providers is a common problem all over the world.”

Turkey’s transportation and infrastructure minister, Abdulkadir Uraloglu, said Instagram ignored “sensitivities” and was in a breach of serious crimes, including incitement to suicide, torture, obscenity and more, the AP reported.

“When they don’t abide by laws and our regulations and don’t take our societal sensitivities into consideration, we are obliged to make the necessary interventions,” he said.

He said they will lift the ban once Instagram fulfills the requirements and they had been in touch with the site’s representative in Turkey.

The AP noted that there are more than 50 million Instagram users in Turkey.

Haniyeh, the Hamas political leader, was killed in Iran earlier this week. He was one of the group’s top leaders who was in Tehran for the inauguration of the new president.

Turkey is observing a day of mourning for the leader of the group and unlike other countries, Turkey does not designate Hamas as a terror organization, the AP said.

The Hill has reached out to Instagram for comment.

The Associated Press contributed.