Türkiye restricts Instagram for censoring Palestine content

The Turkish Information and Communication Technologies Authority (TKM) has said it blocked access to Instagram.

Sources familiar with the matter told TRT World that Instagram access was halted due to removing Haniyeh-related content on a national day of mourning, citing "catalogue crimes" behind the decision.

Head of Türkiye's Communications Directorate Fahrettin Altun harshly criticised the social media platform, saying it "is 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 on Wednesday after Haniyeh's assassination in Tehran.

"We will defend freedom of speech against these platforms that have showed many times that they are primarily in the service of global exploitative system of injustice," he added.

Türkiye declared a day of national mourning over the assassination of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced.

"To show our support for the Palestinian cause and our solidarity with our Palestinian brothers, a one-day national mourning has been declared tomorrow (Friday, August 2) due to the martyrdom of Hamas Political Bureau Chief Ismail Haniyeh," Erdogan said in a statement on Thursday.

"I remember Ismail Haniyeh and all Palestinian martyrs with mercy and extend my condolences to the Palestinian people on behalf of myself and my nation," Erdogan added.

Haniyeh was assassinated by Israel on Wednesday in the Iranian capital Tehran.

Tel Aviv has not confirmed or denied its responsibility.