A photo taken on March 14, 2022, shows the US social network Instagram logo on a smartphone screen in Moscow. - Instagram was inaccessible in Russia on March 14 after Moscow accused its parent company Meta of allowing calls for violence against Russians, including the military, on its platforms. (Photo : AFP via Getty Images)
Turkey has blocked access to Instagram for its 85 million citizens, as shared by CNBC from an announcement from the country's Information and Communication Technologies Authority.
The government's announcement did not specify a reason for the ban or how long it would last, leaving many speculating about the sudden move.
Reports suggest that the decision may be related to Instagram's removal of posts concerning the death of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. Haniyeh, who headed the political wing of the Palestinian militant organization, was killed in a blast in Tehran.
While Iranian officials and Hamas accused Israel of assassinating Haniyeh, Israel has not commented on the incident.
Turkish media, such as the Daily Sabah newspaper, indicated that the ban might be a response to the platform's censorship of posts expressing condolences for Haniyeh.
This speculation was further ignited when Fahrettin Altun, head of Turkey's presidential communications and a close aide to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, criticized Instagram in a post.
Altun condemned the social media platform for preventing users from sharing messages of condolence for Haniyeh, accusing Instagram of censorship. He expressed that the Turkish government would defend freedom of speech against platforms they believe serve global injustice.
Turkey has a history of conflicting views with many Western nations regarding Hamas. Unlike the United States and several of its allies, Turkey does not classify Hamas as a terrorist organization. Erdogan has previously described Hamas members as "liberation fighters," reflecting Turkey's stance on the issue.
Meta, Instagram's parent company, has not commented on the situation.