Turkey’s national communications authority, BTK, has blocked access to Instagram without explanation, following accusations of censorship by a high-ranking Turkish official
The blockage comes after Turkish Presidency’s Communications Director, Fahrettin Altun, criticized Instagram for allegedly impeding condolence messages for Ismail Haniyeh, the killed Hamas political chief and ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Many Turkish users reported issues refreshing their Instagram feeds, verified by AFP journalists.
With over 50 million Instagram users in Turkey, the decision has sparked mockery on other social media platforms, with memes and jokes trending online.
This is not the first time Turkey has blocked social media sites; Wikipedia was blocked from 2017 to 2020 over articles linking the presidency to extremism.
The move raises concerns about civil freedoms and online access in Turkey.
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