Turkey has restricted access to Instagram following criticism from a senior government official over the platform’s alleged censorship of content related to Hamas. The Turkish Information and Communication Technology Authority (BTK) announced the ban on Friday but did not provide specific reasons or indicate how long the restriction would last.
The action was triggered by comments from Fahrettin Altun, the communications director for the Turkish presidency, who accused Instagram of censoring condolence messages for the slain Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. Altun condemned the Meta-owned platform for its perceived failure to justify its actions, stating, “This is censorship, pure and simple.” He emphasized Turkey’s commitment to defending freedom of expression against platforms that, according to him, support “global systems of exploitation and injustice.”
Altun’s remarks reflect Turkey’s broader stance on social media regulation, highlighting ongoing tensions between the government and international tech companies over content control.
