On Saturday Turkey unlocked access to the popular social network Instagram, after more than a week of blockade. The regular Sabah portal confirmed this information on Sunday. The decision to reconstruct access was announced by Abdulkadir Uraloglu, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, after the discussions with representatives of Meta Platforms, which includes Instagram.
Access to Instagram was blocked on Friday August 2 due to the fact that the service "did not comply with national regulations and rules and public sensitivity". As the regular Sabah recalls, the problem was, among another things, content related to the activities of organisations that Turkey considers to be terrorist, including the Kurdistan Working organization (PKK). Minister Uraloglu reported that during the negotiations Meta Platforms undertook to remove accounts associated with specified organisations and propaganda content.
Turkey has unlocked Instagram, reactions
The decision to block access to Instagram caused large discontent among Turkish users as well as business representatives who usage this platform to communicate with customers.
The Turkish economy, especially the e-commerce sector, is heavy based on social media, and the blockade has besides been criticised by experts.
Two days before the imposition of Fahrettin Altun's blockade, the head of the communications department at the President's office, criticized Instagram for "censoring" entries with condolence after the assassination of Ismail Hani, leader of the Palestinian Hamas organization, which could have contributed to the decision to restrict access to the service.
Instagram popularity in Turkey
According to Statista website, Turkey is ranked 5th worldwide in terms of the number of Instagram users. It is estimated that more than 57 million people usage the platform there. So much popularity of the service makes any restrictions on its availability have a crucial impact on the country's social and economical life.
Restoring access to Instagram may propose that the Turkish government is inclined towards a more average policy towards global social platforms, as long as they meet its requirements. However, the question remains as to how long specified cooperation will last and whether subsequent services will not be subject to akin restrictions.
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