After 9 days, Turkey lifts ban on Instagram access
The platform had been obstructed since the morning of August 2 (Representational)
Istanbul:
Turkey initiated unblocking Instagram Saturday evening after withholding access to millions of users for nine days.
“Subsequent to our discussions with representatives of Instagram, we will unblock access starting from 9:30 pm (1830 GMT) after they consented to respond to our requests,” transport and infrastructure minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu stated on X.
Instagram access commenced to gradually return after that time, AFP reporters observed.
“From the commencement, we have desired social media platforms to adhere to the laws of the Republic,” Uraloglu asserted.
The platform had been hindered since the morning of August 2 for reasons that were never fully clarified.
Saturday evening the minister mentioned “violations linked to content”, adding that Instagram had declined to remove thousands of posts involving “gambling, drugs and abuse of children”.
Meta, the proprietor of Instagram, refuted not cooperating, stating it had withdrawn almost 2,500 posts in the first half of the year at the request of Turkish authorities.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s communications director, Fahrettin Altun, accused Instagram of obstructing messages of condolence for Ismael Haniyeh, political leader of the Palestinian group Hamas and a close associate of Erdogan’s.
Haniyeh was slain in Tehran last month in an attack blamed on Israel.
Between 60 and 70 percent of Turkey’s 85 million inhabitants have an Instagram account, and about $57 million of business is conducted on the site each day, according to Emre Ekmekci, vice-president of an e-commerce association.
Access to the online game Roblox, especially favored in Turkey, remained blocked for a fourth day Saturday evening.
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