Meta announced on Tuesday its approval of Turkey’s decision to restore access to Instagram, following a nine-day suspension.
The company reiterated its commitment to cooperating with Turkish authorities to address any content and accounts that breach its policies.
“We are pleased to see that Instagram is back up and running in Turkey. We remain in dialogue with the authorities and will continue to take action against any violating content and accounts,” a Meta spokesperson stated.
The spokesperson clarified that Meta will enforce its Dangerous Organizations & Individuals policy and apply newsworthy allowances as necessary. The Turkish government had blocked Instagram access on August 2, citing the platform’s failure to adhere to local laws and regulations.
The block followed accusations that Instagram had censored posts mourning the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, a leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas. This action led to protests from users and small businesses reliant on the platform.
In response to the ban, a court in Izmir recently ordered the arrest of a woman for allegedly inciting hatred and insulting the president after she criticized the Instagram suspension, according to media reports.
Meta clarified that it had not altered its policies but agreed to review the accuracy of actions taken regarding policy violations in Turkey, especially in the wake of Haniyeh’s death. The company allows some policy-violating content to remain visible if deemed newsworthy or in the public interest.
Turkey ranks fifth globally in Instagram usage, with over 57 million users, trailing behind India, the United States, Brazil, and Indonesia, according to Statista.
