Erdogan Criticizes Social Media Over Palestinian Voices Amid Instagram Ban

President Tayyip Erdogan lambasted social media companies for allegedly silencing Palestinian voices following Turkey's Instagram ban. The move came after Turkey accused Instagram of blocking condolence posts over Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh’s assassination. The ban has significantly disrupted Turkish businesses reliant on Instagram.

President Tayyip Erdogan fiercely criticized social media companies on Monday, accusing them of attempting to "muzzle the Palestinian people's voices" after Turkey blocked access to Instagram last week. Turkey engaged in discussions with Instagram following the block, which arose from allegations that the platform had blocked condolence posts for Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Turkey has strongly condemned Israel's actions in Gaza, calling for an immediate ceasefire, and has criticized what it perceives as unwavering support for Israel from Western nations. "We are confronting a digital fascism that swiftly bans even photographs of Palestinian martyrs," Erdogan stated, referencing Haniyeh's killing.

Erdogan further accused social media companies of acting as militants to suppress the Palestinian cause. Israel and its Western allies categorize Hamas as a terrorist organization, a label rejected by predominantly Muslim Turkey, a NATO member.

Meta, which owns Instagram, emphasized the negative fallout from the ban, highlighting that millions in Turkey are now cut off from their daily communications and businesses are struggling to reach customers. "We will continue to restore our services," a Meta spokesperson stated.

The criticism arose after Instagram supposedly censored condolence posts for Haniyeh, who was assassinated in Tehran following the inauguration of Iran's new president. Iran and Hamas blamed Israel for the strike, though Israel has not confirmed involvement.

Turkey, with 57 million Instagram users, ranks fifth globally in platform usage, according to Statista. Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu mentioned that Turkey had previously discussed compliance with Turkish laws with Instagram representatives.

The ban has notably affected Turkish businesses such as Basak's handmade jewelry account, which saw a significant disruption. "Some customers reached me through VPN, but access to new customers stopped," she lamented.

Internet monitor NetBlocks estimated the access ban cost the Turkish economy $11.5 million daily. Estimates from the Turkish e-commerce businesses association ETID indicated daily revenues of 900 million lira (around $27 million) from Instagram, according to Emre Ekmekci, ETID's vice chairman.

If the ban persists, both sellers and users are expected to migrate to other platforms. Ekmekci expressed hope that forthcoming meetings would yield a resolution, highlighting that the issue extends beyond politics to economic impacts.

(With inputs from agencies.)