Instagram access blocked in Turkey following Hamas leader assassination

Access to Instagram was blocked in Turkey on Friday, in the latest example of a clampdown on websites in the country.

The bar on access was in response to Instagram removing posts from Turkish users expressing condolences over the killing of Hamas's political leader Ismail Haniyeh, it has been reported.

The Information and Communication Technologies Authority, which regulates the internet in Turkey, announced the block but did not provide a reason.

It comes a few days after an aide to Turkey's president criticised the Meta-owned social media platform for preventing users in Turkey from posting messages mourning Haniyeh.

There was no immediate comment from Instagram, which has more than 50 million users in Turkey, a nation with a population of 85 million.

Unlike its Western allies, Turkey does not consider Hamas to be a terror organisation.

A strong critic of Israel's military actions in Gaza, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has described the group as "liberation fighters".

Turkey is observing a day of mourning for Haniyeh on Friday, with flags flown at half-mast.

The twin assassinations of Hamas's Haniyeh and Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr have sent tensions in the Middle East spiralling, as the war in Gaza continues to kill thousands.

Read more:
Analysis: 'Inevitable' that assassinations expand war
Two journalists killed in Israeli airstrike

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Turkey has a track record of censoring social media and websites. Hundreds of thousands of domains have been blocked since 2022, according to the Freedom of Expression Association, a non-profit organisation.

The video-sharing platform YouTube was also blocked in the country from 2007 to 2010.