Turkey blocks Instagram after outrage over Haniyeh tribute posts
Turkey has blocked access to the social media platform Instagram, Reuters reported on Friday. The national regulator did not provide a specific reason for this decision or specify how long it will be in effect.
On Wednesday, Fahrettin Altun, head of the communications department at the presidency, criticised the platform for blocking posts with condolences following the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. He described it as "censorship" and noted that Instagram did not cite any violation of rules in this context.
Meta Platforms, which owns Instagram, has not yet commented on Altun's remarks or the decision to block access to the service. Reuters noted that access to the Instagram app is also impossible.
On Friday, a national day of mourning is being observed in Turkey in connection with Haniyeh's death. It was announced the previous day by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Hamas leader is dead
On Wednesday, the Palestinian terrorist organisation Hamas announced that its leader, Ismail Haniyeh, was killed in a "Zionist" airstrike on his residence in Tehran.
The death of the Hamas leader occurred a few hours after an Israeli retaliatory attack on Hezbollah. In an air raid on Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, the chief military commander of the organisation, Fuad Shukr, was killed.
The attack was in response to Saturday's shelling of the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights, which killed 12 children and teenagers. Hezbollah has been attacking Israel since the start of the war in Gaza to help Hamas. Iran also supports both Hezbollah and Hamas.
