Turkey has enacted a nationwide ban on Instagram following a dispute over the platform’s removal of condolence posts related to the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. The national communications authority announced the block early Friday morning, with the specific reasons and duration of the measure yet to be clarified.

The ban follows criticism from Turkish communications official Fahrettin Altun, who accused Instagram of “outright censorship” for deleting posts that expressed sympathy for Haniyeh, who was killed in Tehran on July 31. This action has sparked significant backlash in Turkey, where Instagram is a major social media platform with over 50 million users.

Altun voiced his concerns on X (formerly Twitter), condemning the platform’s actions and asserting Turkey’s determination to resist global exploitation and injustice. He reaffirmed Turkey’s support for Palestinians through all available means.

Digital law specialist Yaman Akdeniz reported that the block was executed around 3:00 AM local time through an administrative order. This decision likely requires judicial endorsement and may have been sanctioned by the presidency or a related ministry.

Since the block was imposed, many users in Turkey have experienced issues accessing their Instagram accounts. The duration of the block and possible further actions remain unclear.