Erdogan Criticizes Instagram Prohibition, This Turkish Woman Arrested

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JAKARTA - A Turkish court ordered the arrest of a woman on charges of inciting hatred and insulting the president after criticizing the ban on Instagram social media platforms. Turkey blocked access to Instagram on August 2 for not complying with its laws and regulations. Currently Turkey has reopened its Instagram block because it has agreed to comply with the country's demands regarding censorship and crime-related content. In an interview posted on YouTube channel last week, while the app was still blocked, the woman was one of several passersby who were asked opinions about the ban. "This is wrong. The president cannot ban Instagram from his wishes," the woman said. He also criticized President Tayyip Erdogan and those who supported the ban. Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the arrest. The arrests were made yesterday, which was ordered by local courts in the western city of Izmir, after the head of Turkey's broadcaster RTUK criticized street interviews broadcast on social media, saying they were "manipulating public opinion".

The ban on Instagram access came after a top Turkish official accused social media platforms of blocking posts expressing condolences for the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, a leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas.