Turkey blocks Instagram after censorship of Haniyeh condolences posts

Turkey's Information and Communication Technologies Authority (ICTA) blocked access to the social media platform Instagram as of Friday, without indicating how long the block will last.

The decision follows remarks by Fahrettin Altun, head of the Turkish presidency's communications department, who criticized Instagram on Wednesday for allegedly censoring posts expressing condolences for the assassination of Hamas political bureau chief, Ismail Haniyeh.

Altun said this action is "simply censorship," stating that Instagram provided no explanation related to policy violations.

As of now, Meta, the parent company of Instagram, has not commented on the block or Altun's statements. The Turkish authority's decision was posted on its website on August 2.