Turkish authorities have blocked Instagram after officials in Ankara accused the platform of “censorship” over the killing of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh.
According to Turkey'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.
Fahrettin Altun, the country’s communications chief, had slammed the Meta-owned network earlier this week for its response to the killing of Haniyeh. The Hamas political leader was killed in a bombing in Tehran on Wednesday, with the Palestinian militant group and Iran accusing Israel of orchestrating the attack. West Jerusalem has neither denied nor confirmed involvement, but has repeatedly vowed to destroy Islamist “terrorists” who threaten the Jewish state.
Altun “strongly condemned” Instagram, claiming it had “prevented people from posting condolences on Haniyeh’s martyrdom without giving any reason.”
“This is a very clear and obvious attempt at censorship,” he argued, vowing that Ankara “will continue to defend freedom of expression against these platforms, which have repeatedly shown that they serve the global system of exploitation and injustice.”
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How would you feel if a social media platform you use daily suddenly got banned in your country over a political issue?
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Do you believe a country has the right to block access to certain information or platforms to protect its interests?
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Should social media companies have the authority to censor content, even if it involves political figures or sensitive events?
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Imagine not being able to post or see condolences for a tragic event on social media; how would that impact your perception of freedom of speech?
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If a platform like Instagram was blocked in your country, would it make you more supportive of the platform or the government's decision?
