Turkey Blocks Instagram Access Without Explanation or Stated Duration

Photo : Reuters

Ankara, Turkey: In a surprising move, Turkey blocked access to Instagram on Friday, leaving many users unable to access the popular social media platform. The decision, made by the national communications authority BTK, was announced without explanation. The BTK's website simply stated, "instagram.com has been blocked by a decision on the date of 02/08/2024," offering no further details.

The sudden blockade affected more than 50 million Instagram users in Turkey, a significant portion of the country's 85 million population. Complaints quickly flooded the X platform (formerly Twitter), with users expressing frustration over their inability to refresh their Instagram feeds. AFP journalists confirmed the disruption.

The move follows accusations of censorship against Instagram by Fahrettin Altun, the Turkish presidency's communications director. Altun criticized the platform for allegedly preventing users from posting condolence messages for Ismail Haniyeh, the political chief of Hamas, who was killed in Tehran on Wednesday in an attack blamed on Israel. Haniyeh was a close ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

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"This is a very clear and obvious attempt at censure," Altun stated on X.

The decision to block Instagram led to widespread mockery and criticism on other social media networks. Memes and sarcastic comments quickly spread, highlighting the public's discontent. One meme showing a congested metro station with the caption, "X when Turks wake up to find that Instagram is blocked," gained significant traction. Another user, "CringeOfMaster," wrote, "Instagram is blocked in Turkey, life is over," accompanied by a picture of a grieving man.

This incident is not the first time Turkish authorities have restricted access to social media platforms. Wikipedia was blocked from April 2017 to January 2020 due to articles alleging links between the Turkish presidency and extremism. This blockade shocked many in Turkey, where Erdogan's government is frequently accused of suppressing civil freedoms by restricting online information.

In April, Meta, the owner of Facebook, suspended its Threads social network in Turkey following a decision by authorities to prevent it from sharing information with Instagram. These actions reflect a broader pattern of internet censorship in Turkey, raising concerns about freedom of expression and access to information.

As the situation develops, Turkish citizens and international observers will be watching closely to see how the government justifies this latest restriction and whether access to Instagram will be restored in the near future.