Erdogan vows to lift Instagram ban if Turkish demands are met

Turkish authorities will lift the ban on access to Instagram once the platform meets the country's demands, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced at the headquarters of the ruling Justice and Development Party in Ankara.

"If Türkiye's reasonable demands are met and sensitivity is shown, the problem will be solved automatically," Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media that Erdogan accused Western social media of practicing "digital fascism".

"We are confronted with the digital fascism of social media, which bans images of Palestinian martyrs and labels it as freedom. We, as governments, have no issue with anyone's freedom, work, love, or commerce. We aim to protect our rights within the framework of our constitution," Erdogan added, noting that negotiations with Instagram representatives have so far been unsuccessful.

The platform was blocked on August 2 by a decision of the Technology and Communications Council. Turkish authorities cited Instagram's violation of local legislation on social networks and content as the reason for the ban.

Local media reports suggest that the ban was imposed following Instagram's censorship of condolences posted in response to the assassination of Hamas politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh in Iran on July 31. The censorship was condemned by Fahrettin Altun, head of the communications department of the Turkish presidential administration.