Erdogan slams ‘digital fascism’ after Turkey blocks Instagram

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan fiercely criticizes social media companies, saying they seek to “muzzle the Palestinian people’s voices,” after Turkey blocked access to Instagram last week.

Turkey is holding talks with Instagram after the move, which followed a top Turkish official’s accusation that the social media site blocked condolence posts over the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, leader of Hamas.

“We are facing a digital fascism that has no tolerance for even the photographs of Palestinian martyrs and bans them immediately,” Erdogan says, citing the killing of Haniyeh.

“They are resorting to every means to hide Israel’s cruelty and muzzle the Palestinian people’s voices. Especially social media companies have literally become militants,” he says in a speech in the Turkish capital Ankara.