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 @Bl4ckBallotClaireNewsDaily DiscussionIsraelIranSocial MediaJerusalemTurkeyCensorship•••2yrs ago

Turkey Blocks Instagram

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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10 Replies

 @PantherBrooklynDemocratfrom Virginia  commented…2yrs2Y

Instagram is now banned in Turkey. I wake up every morning and every morning, there's a new **** show going on and fcking up this country.

 @ForsakenSenateGreenfrom California  disagreed…2yrs2Y

Now imagine waking up under the rubble or without a limb or a loved one.

 @AloofReferendumLibertarian from Texas  commented…2yrs2Y

All the crazy things that happened Turkey since this morning:

• Instagram banned

• Erdogan publishes Friday message on Instagram despite a ban. Then takes it down

• Turkish Constitutional court releases a judgment that cancels some of the Turkish Presidential powers. Then deletes the post on X. [The judgment is still in force].

• No access to the court website for a while

• Israel summons the Turkish Ambassador over Turkish flag at half mast row

 @CockyLlamaDemocratfrom Maine  commented…2yrs2Y

Pure dictatorship. What about freedom of speech

 @D1plom4tXerusGreen from Indiana  commented…2yrs2Y

This Zuckerberg app should be banned everywhere

 @ISIDEWITHasked…2yrs2Y

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?

 @ISIDEWITHasked…2yrs2Y

If a platform like Instagram was blocked in your country, would it make you more supportive of the platform or the government's decision?

 @ISIDEWITHasked…2yrs2Y

How would you feel if a social media platform you use daily suddenly got banned in your country over a political issue?

 @ISIDEWITHasked…2yrs2Y

Do you believe a country has the right to block access to certain information or platforms to protect its interests?

 @ISIDEWITHasked…2yrs2Y

Should social media companies have the authority to censor content, even if it involves political figures or sensitive events?

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