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Overview:
- Action: Turkey’s Information and Communication Technologies Authority has blocked access to Instagram for its 85 million users.
- Date of Ban: August 2, 2024.
- Reason: The Turkish government has not officially disclosed the reason for the ban. However, local reports suggest it is related to the removal of posts about the death of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.
Context:
- Haniyeh’s Death: Haniyeh, leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, was killed in a blast in Tehran. Iranian officials and Hamas accuse Israel of the assassination, while Israel has not commented.
- Turkish Response: Fahrettin Altun, a senior aide to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, criticized Instagram for censoring condolences related to Haniyeh’s death, calling it censorship and defending freedom of speech.
Turkey’s Stance on Hamas:
- Designation: Unlike many Western nations, Turkey does not label Hamas as a terrorist organization. The Turkish government has criticized Israel’s policies and described Hamas as “liberation fighters,” despite maintaining diplomatic and economic relations with Israel.
Impact:
- Instagram’s User Base: The ban affects over 50 million Instagram users in Turkey.
- Meta’s Response: CNBC has reached out to Meta for comment, but no response has been received yet.
The block reflects ongoing tensions and differing viewpoints on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, impacting social media access and freedom of expression in Turkey.