Turkey blocks Instagram access in “censorship” row after Hamas leader’s assassination

Turkey’s internet regulator has blocked access to Instagram, with local reports suggesting it relates to the death of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh.

It is the latest instance of social media clampdown in Turkey, which has a track record of shutting down websites having closed hundreds of thousands since 2022.

While the Information and Communication Technologies Authority did not give a reason behind its decision early on Friday, Turkish outlets say it is a response to Instagram’s handling of condolence messages towards Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas’ political wing, who was killed on Wednesday (July 31).

This story is for NewsDay subscribers.