Turkey blocks access to Instagram, reason unclear

This article was last updated on August 2, 2024

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Turkey blocks access to Instagram, reason unclear

Turkey has blocked access to social media platform Instagram. This was reported by the Turkish Information Technology and Communications Authority, which did not give any reason for the blockade. It is also unclear until when the ban will apply.

Earlier this week, a senior Turkish official accused the platform of “censorship” surrounding the death of the Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.

Haniyeh was killed on Wednesday in the Iranian capital Tehran, probably by Israel. Turkish President Erdogan spoke of Haniyeh’s death as a shame and condemned the attack as “Zionist barbarism”.

Erdogan declared today the “day of solidarity with Palestinian brothers and sisters.”

Turkey correspondent Mitra Nazar:

“The Turkish government is not making itself popular with the majority of Turks with this decision. Instagram is by far the most popular social medium in Turkey with 58 million users according to the latest figures, so this sudden blockade will hit hard, especially among the young generations. In addition, Instagram is full of companies and local web shops that will not be happy with this.

The Turkish government has a reputation for blocking websites and social media. In the past we saw platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Wikipedia and Twitter taken off the air. Sometimes for a short time, sometimes longer. Wikipedia has been inaccessible in Turkey for almost three years. Reasons for blockages vary. In the case of Wikipedia, it was because the site refused to take down articles critical of the government.

People are now very familiar with VPNs, encrypted private networks. So I expect that most Turkish Instagrammers will continue to post despite the blockade.”