Erdoğan labels critics of Instagram ban ‘house negros’
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has lashed out at critics of Turkey's decision to block Instagram, following accusations that the platform restricted posts commemorating the assassinated Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.
The president used harsh language to describe those opposing the ban, referring to them as ‘house niggers’ who align themselves with foreign interests over national sovereignty, and accused social media giants of ‘digital fascism’ during a speech at a human rights event at his ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) headquarters.
“They consider even a simple sentence criticizing Israel as an insult. We are facing digital fascism,” he remarked. “These companies, which frame every kind of immorality and support for terrorist organizations under the guise of freedom, have openly declared war on the heroic children of the Palestinian people and their resistance.”
Turkey blocks Instagram after Erdoğan aide’s ‘censorship’ claim over killed Hamas leader
Meta, Instagram's parent company, has been criticized for restricting pro-Palestinian content during the ongoing Gaza conflict, with Human Rights Watch (HRW) alleging ‘systematic censorship’ in a December report. These actions have drawn backlash from several governments, including Turkey.
Turkey blocked Instagram on August 2, after the platform reportedly restricted Turkish government officials’ messages honoring Haniyeh, who was killed in a July 31 strike in Tehran. In response, Facebook removed a post from Turkey’s Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) about prayers for Haniyeh and restricted its account for a month.
Meeting between government and Instagram
Turkish authorities have yet to disclose the exact legal basis for the ban. However, a range of topics were reportedly discussed between Transport and Infrastructure Ministry officials and Instagram representatives today, including the authorities' demands for stricter control over posts in support of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militant group, according to AKP deputy Hulki Cevizoğlu.
Erdoğan accused social media companies of using their power to engage in social engineering rather than supporting global freedoms. He said, “Social media companies are acting like mafias. Despite our warnings, all terrorist organizations can freely spread propaganda on these platforms.”
‘Instagram ban could cost Turkey $57 million daily’
‘House negros’
Erdoğan also criticized the domestic opposition, suggesting that they care more about foreign interests than Turkey’s sovereignty. He stated, “This is not how one defends freedoms,” and accused opposition parties of pandering to Western agendas by criticizing the ban.
“Turkey takes a step within the framework of its sovereign rights, but before the companies even respond, the opposition parties, eager to benefit from the situation, spring into action without considering the implications.
“The blatant censorship of these platforms turns those who transform into paper tigers when faced with them into lions when it comes to criticizing our country. This is not how one defends freedoms.
“The sole aim of these house negros, who are more Western than the West and more pro-Israel than Israel, is to ingratiate themselves with their masters. We have never considered these house niggers as interlocutors. Our struggle has always been against their masters. We focus on the puppeteers pulling the strings.”
'House negro' was a term popularized by African American leader Malcolm X, to describe slaves who, according to him, were more loyal to their owners than to their fellow slaves. (VK)