Turkey has banned Meta Platforms Inc.’s META Instagram over the platform’s alleged non-compliance with the country’s laws.
What Happened: The ban on Instagram was imposed following claims that the platform was suppressing condolence messages related to the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the terrorist group Hamas, reported Reuters.
Abdulkadir Uraloglu, Turkey’s Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, said that Instagram had been cautioned about certain violations and was expected to comply with the nation’s laws.
“We are in contact with them. Our sensitivities are clear, as soon as they correct those shortcomings, we will remove the ban. This is a country with laws and rules.” Uraloglu added.
NetBlocks, an internet observatory, verified that Instagram access had been curtailed in Turkey following the ban, which was enforced by authorities based on a court order on Friday, the report noted.
Fahrettin Altun, a Turkish communications official, lambasted Instagram for what he described as censorship earlier this week.
“I also strongly condemn the social media platform Instagram which is actively preventing people from posting messages of condolences for the passing of Hamas leader Haniyeh without citing any policy violations,” he posted on X, formerly Twitter, adding, “This is censorship, pure and simple.”
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Why It Matters: This isn’t the first time Meta faced regulatory hurdles in Turkey.
In April earlier this year, the company announced it would suspend Threads in Turkey in response to an interim order from the Turkish Competition Authority.
The latest events in the Israel-Hamas conflict have intensified significantly.
Following the killing of Haniyeh in Tehran, Iran, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ordered a direct strike on Israel in retaliation, marking a major escalation of tensions in the Middle East.
Earlier this week, Israel also confirmed the death of Mohammed Deif, the second-in-command of Hamas.
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