Turkey has blocked Instagram. What does this mean?

At the beginning of August 2024, the Turkish authorities decided to block access to one of the most popular social media platforms – Instagram. This decision sparked a wave of controversy both domestically and internationally. Let’s have a closer look at what exactly happened in Turkey, the reasons behind this move, and the consequences it brings for both Instagram users and the Turkish economy. Is there a way for tourists and Turkish citizens to circumvent the blockade?

Instagram blockade in Turkey—what exactly happened?

On 2nd August 2024, the Turkish authorities decided to block Instagram nationwide. The official reason for the blockade was alleged unfair treatment by Meta Platforms. The Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK), responsible for monitoring internet operations within the country, initially did not disclose the duration of the blockade or provide detailed reasons for the action.

According to Reuters, the blockade is connected to the death of Palestinian Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran. Turkey condemned Israel’s attacks on Gaza, calling for an immediate ceasefire from both sides, while criticising the West’s “unconditional support” for Israel. Although Israel did not claim responsibility for the attack on the Hamas leader, social media saw posts expressing condolences and pro-Palestinian content. Turkish authorities claim that most of these were blocked and removed by Meta, violating the freedom of speech and expression of Turkish citizens. Fahrettin Altun, the head of the communications department, commented: “This is censorship, pure and simple.” Interestingly, other platforms owned by Meta, such as WhatsApp and Facebook, remained accessible.

Israel and its Western allies consider Hamas a terrorist organisation, a designation not accepted by Turkey, which is also a NATO member. In response, Turkish politicians criticised the actions of social media platforms, accusing them of rigorously enforcing rules in the US and Europe but not applying the same standards to Turkey. They also point out that any violation of these rules by Turkey immediately meets with international criticism.

It’s worth noting that this is not the first instance of the Erdoğan government blocking access to various services. In the past, sites like Wikipedia, Facebook, and the former Twitter were also temporarily shut down.

Economic impacts of the blockade

The decision to block access to Instagram has not only political but also economic repercussions. In Turkey, over 57 million people use Instagram, making the country one of the largest markets for the platform globally. Social media users include both private individuals and businesses that utilise the platform for commercial activities.

The Instagram blockade negatively affected e-commerce in the country, particularly companies that conducted sales through social media. Emre Ekmekci, vice-president of the E-Commerce Operators Association, noted that the blockade could cost the Turkish economy up to 900 million lira per day. Many entrepreneurs fear that a prolonged embargo will lead to significant financial losses.

User reactions and attempts to circumvent the ban

The Instagram blockade also caused frustration among users, especially those who use the platform for professional purposes. Tourists in Turkey felt the effects of the authorities’ decision as well, unable to post photos and stories from their holidays.

Many users decided to circumvent the blockade by using VPN services, which allow them to change their location and access blocked services. The system perceives the user as being in another country. Applications like TuxlerVPN became extremely popular in Turkey among both tourists and citizens. A significant increase in downloads of such applications on phones and computers was recorded.

Instagram’s return after nine days

After nine days, Turkey’s Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Abdulkadir Uraloglu, announced that access to Instagram was being restored following talks with representatives of Meta Platforms. As he wrote on the platform X, Meta promised to cooperate with the authorities to meet their requirements concerning “crimes” and the “censorship” imposed on users.

The minister emphasised that Meta agreed to remove accounts belonging to terrorist organisations such as the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and related propaganda content. As is known, the definition of terrorism can vary, so Instagram representatives had to agree to algorithms blocking content originating from organisations listed on Turkey’s register of terrorist organisations.

The Instagram blockade in Turkey is yet another example of tensions between Ankara and Western tech companies. The Turkish authorities’ decision sparked a broad discussion on freedom of speech, censorship, and the role of social media in international politics. However, in such cases, regular users of social media platforms and other blocked services are able to cope with state-imposed blockades by using VPN services.

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