Turkey Restores Instagram Access After Weeklong Ban, Global Outcry
Kristina Jovanovski reports that Turkey has reinstated access to Instagram after a weeklong ban that sparked significant criticism. The ban was initially enforced on August 2 due to alleged non-compliance with Turkish laws. Turkish Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu announced the decision on Saturday, claiming that Instagram had agreed to Turkey’s demands regarding criminal activity and censorship.
Human Rights Watch condemned the ban, arguing that it violated freedom of expression and adversely affected small businesses relying on the platform. Hüseyin Yayman, head of the Parliament’s Digital Media Commission, criticized TikTok, asserting that its content does not align with Turkey’s national values.
Kristina Jovanovski further highlights that political motivations may be behind the censorship, with some analysts suggesting that the ruling Justice and Development Party is using these measures to appeal to Islamist groups. Gürkan Özturan, a rapporteur for Freedom House, expressed concerns over the Turkish government’s increasing control over digital media, calling the ban an escalation of censorship.
Read the full article by Kristina Jovanovski to delve deeper into Turkey’s approach to media censorship and its implications for freedom of expression.
