On August 4, Instagram users in Turkey woke up to find the social media network blocked. It was the third consecutive day of the block. This follows the censorship accusations against the United States company from a high-ranking Turkish official.
On August 2, the BTK communications authority announced on its website that it had frozen the Meta-owned platform. It did not provide any reason for the action.
An official then referred to a regulation that allows the blocking of criminal content.
On the same day, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said that their country has values and sensitivities. Despite their warnings, they did not take care of criminal content. They blocked access. When they abide by their laws, they’ll lift the ban.
Fahrettin Altun, the President’s communications director accused Instagram on July 31 of preventing people from publishing messages of condolence for the martyr Hamas leader Ismail, Haniyeh.
He said on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that this is a very clear and obvious attempt at censure.
On August 2, the social-democrat and nationalist opposition parties, along with the Ankara legal profession, petitioned the courts to lift the freeze.
The Turkish media says that 50 million of the country’s 85 million people have an Instagram account.
