Turkey's government on Monday called officials from Instagram to a meeting, four days after blocking the social media platform for unspecified reasons. Instagram, which has been suspended in Turkey since Friday, has been accused by the authorities both of censorship and of failing to remove posts the authorities deemed offensive. The freeze has harmed business for telecoms operators and vendors who sell goods via the platform.

‘Significant increase’ in online searches for VPNs in the country following the ban, said a research analyst. Turkey blocked its citizens from accessing Instagram citing non-compliance with regulations, a decision taken after the app removed Turkish posts expressing condolences for the death of a Hamas leader. “When the parties who do not comply with our laws, our sensitivities, and these mentioned deficiencies comply, we will take the necessary action and lift this access ban.” Yeni Safak newspaper, which is close to the government, along with other media outlets, said access...

ANKARA, Turkiye — Türkiye’s communications authority blocked access to the social media platform Instagram on Friday, the latest instance of a clampdown on websites in the country. The Information and Communication Technologies Authority, which regulates the internet, announced the decision early Friday but did not provide a reason. Yeni Safak newspaper, which is close to the government, and other media said access was blocked in response to Instagram removing posts by Turkish users that expressed condolences over the killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh.

Access to Instagram was blocked in Turkey on Friday, in the latest example of a clampdown on websites in the country. The bar on access was in response to Instagram removing posts from Turkish users expressing condolences over the killing of Hamas's political leader Ismail Haniyeh, it has been reported. The Information and Communication Technologies Authority, which regulates the internet in Turkey, announced the block but did not provide a reason. It comes a few days after an aide to Turkey's president criticised the Meta-owned social media platform for preventing...

Turkey’s communications authority blocked the country’s access to Instagram on Friday, one day after the government slammed the social media platform for removing posts by Turkish users expressing condolences over the killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh. The country’s BTK communications authority said in a post Friday on its website that “instagram.com has been blocked by a decision on the date of 02/08/2024,” without adding further details.

Turkey on Friday blocked access to the Instagram social media network, the national communications authority said without explanation, following censorship accusations against the US company by a high-ranking Turkish official. The BTK communications authority said in a post on its website that “instagram.com has been blocked by a decision on the date of 02/08/2024,” without adding further details.

Officials have accused the platform of preventing users from posting condolences over the death of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh Turkish authorities have blocked Instagram after officials in Ankara accused the platform of “censorship” in the ongoing Middle East conflict. According to Türkiye’s Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK), access to the social media platform was blocked on Friday. No formal reason was given for the move, nor any indication of how long the ban would last.

Turkey on Friday blocked access to the Instagram social media network, the national communications authority said without explanation, following censorship accusations against the US company by a high-ranking Turkish official. The BTK communications authority said in a post on its website that “instagram.com has been blocked by a decision on the date of 02/08/2024”, without adding further details. Many users living in Turkey complained on the X platform that they could not refresh their Instagram feed, an issue verified by AFP journalists.