Instagram removes top Turkish cleric’s posts criticizing Israel
Turkey’s Religious Affairs Directorate announced that Instagram removed some posts of their head Ali Erbaş, criticizing Israel. Turkey recently restored access to Instagram following a nine-day access ban after the company agreed to cooperate with authorities to address the government's concerns, a minister announced.
Duvar English
The social media platform Instagram has removed some posts from the head of the Religious Affairs Directorate (Diyanet), Ali Erbaş, criticizing Israel.
The move was announced by the Directorate’s Press Counselor Burak Orhan.
Orhan said the platform recently removed two of Erbaş’s posts. Accordingly, one of them was the declaration of the World Islamic Scholars Consultation Summit held three months ago, “condemning the massacre in Palestine.”
The other post was Erbaş’s speech “criticizing Israeli terrorism” at a recent international meeting in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
“The common point in both removed posts is the word Zionist. I guess it is forbidden to say Zionist on Instagram. But it is free to defend the murderer Israel in any way,” Orhan added.
Turkey on Aug. 10 restored access to the social media platform Instagram following a nine-day access ban after the company agreed to cooperate with authorities to address the government's concerns, a minister announced.
The government blocked access to the social media platform on Aug. 2 for failing to comply with the country's "laws and rules" and public sensitivities.
However, a top Turkish official accused Instagram of blocking condolence posts over the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
The removal of Erbaş’s posts raised questions over the agreement between Instagram and the social media platform.