Türkiye removes access block as Instagram complies with demands

Türkiye has lifted its week-long restriction on social media giant Instagram after the platform agreed to comply with the country's demands, especially regarding its policies on catalogue crimes.

"Following our negotiations with Instagram officials, we will lift the access block at 21:30 (1830 GMT), based on their promise to meet our demands," Türkiye's transportation and infrastructure minister, Abdulkadir Uraloglu, said in a statement on X on Saturday.

The restriction was imposed due to Instagram’s policies on catalogue crimes, specifically after it removed content related to Hamas politburo leader Ismail Haniyeh on a national day of mourning.

Turkish authorities and META, Instagram's parent company, engaged in discussions to establish the conditions under which the platform would be reopened.

'Censorship, pure and simple'

"From the beginning, we have asked social media platforms to respect the laws of the Republic of Türkiye," Uraloglu wrote on X.

According to the minister, Türkiye and META have reached an agreement regarding the framework of catalogue crimes and will collaborate on censorship matters.

Head of Türkiye's Communications Directorate Fahrettin Altun had harshly criticised Instagram, accusing the platform of "actively preventing people from posting messages of condolences for the passing of Hamas leader [Ismail] Haniyeh without citing any policy violations."

"This is censorship, pure and simple," Altun said in a post on X following Haniyeh's assassination in Tehran.