Turkey blocks access to Instagram platform, gives no reason

Turkey has blocked access to social media platform Instagram, the infotech regulator said on Friday, without stating a reason or duration for the ban, which also left the platform’s mobile app inaccessible.

Early Friday, many users in Türkiye complained on the X platform that they could not refresh their Instagram feed.

The move follows comments on Wednesday by Turkish communications official Fahrettin Altun, criticising the platform for what he called its decision to block condolence posts on the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, a key official of Palestinian militant group Hamas.

“This is censorship, pure and simple,” Altun, the communications director of the Turkish presidency, said on X, adding that Instagram had not cited any policy violations for its action.

Turkey's Information Technologies and Communication Authority (BTK) published the Aug. 2 decision on its website.

According to Turkish media, there are more than 50 million users signed up to Instagram in Türkiye, out of a population of 85 million.