‘We will lift ban if Instagram complies with the rules’: Turkish Transport Minister

Turkish Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloglu announced that an access ban was imposed on Instagram due to non-compliance with regulations.

“If it complies with the rules, we will lift the access ban,” Uraloglu stated.

‘We warned Instagram’

“We warned Instagram within the framework of catalog crimes, but since we did not receive the necessary response, we imposed an access block,” Uraloglu said.

Stating that they are in contact with Instagram and that Instagram’s social media representative has been interviewed, Minister Uraloglu announced that the access ban will be lifted if Instagram complies with the rules.

“We are in communication with them. Our sensitivities are clear. The deficiencies are clear. The moment they eliminate those deficiencies, we will lift that block. This is a country with laws and rules.”

What happened

The Turkish Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) has blocked access to Instagram in Türkiye. The decision was posted on the BTK website without any accompanying explanation for the move or its anticipated duration.

This decision has left Instagram users in Türkiye unable to access the platform. However, access to other social media platforms owned by Meta, such as Facebook, remains unaffected. Türkiye, with its 57.1 million Instagram users, ranks as the fifth-largest user base for the platform globally.

Reason for ban

The action was taken following Instagram’s restriction of posts related to the death of Ismail Haniyeh, leader of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas, a high-profile incident. The BTK is expected to secure a court order within 24 to 48 hours to formalize the ban.

Government’s reaction

On July 31, Fahrettin Altun, head of the Presidency’s Directorate of Communications, condemned Instagram for its actions. Following the assassination news of Haniyeh, Altun criticized the platform on social media.

This is a clear and blatant act of censorship. We will continue to defend freedom of expression against platforms that serve global exploitation and injustice.Fahrettin Altun