On Friday, Turkey’s national communications authority, BTK, blocked access to the Instagram social media network without providing an explanation, following allegations of censorship by a high-ranking Turkish official against the US-based company.
The BTK’s brief statement on its website read, “instagram.com has been blocked by a decision on the date of 02/08/2024,” offering no additional details.
The blockage led to widespread complaints from users in Turkey who found themselves unable to refresh their Instagram feeds, an issue confirmed by AFP journalists.
The move follows a recent outburst from Fahrettin Altun, the Turkish presidency’s communications director, who accused Instagram of “impeding people from publishing messages of condolence for the martyr Haniyeh.”
Ismail Haniyeh, the political chief of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas and a close ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was killed in Tehran on Wednesday in an attack attributed to Israel. Altun took to the X platform to decry Instagram’s actions, labeling them “a very clear and obvious attempt at censure.”
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The decision to block Instagram affects more than 50 million users in Turkey, a significant portion of the country’s 85 million population. The move has sparked mockery on other social media platforms, particularly X, where users shared memes and humorous commentary.
One trending meme depicted a crowded metro station with the caption, “X when Turks wake up to find that Instagram is blocked.” Another user, “CringeOfMaster,” posted a picture of a grieving man with the caption, “Instagram is blocked in Turkey, life is over.” Others sarcastically inquired about alternative platforms for viewing edited images.
This isn’t the first instance of Turkish authorities restricting access to social media sites. From April 2017 to January 2020, Wikipedia was blocked in Turkey over articles alleging links between the Turkish presidency and extremism, a move that shocked many in a country where Erdogan’s government is frequently accused of curbing civil liberties.
In April, Meta, Facebook’s parent company, suspended its Threads social network in Turkey after authorities prevented it from sharing information with Instagram. These actions reflect ongoing tensions between Turkey’s government and social media platforms, highlighting concerns over freedom of expression and the accessibility of information in the country.