ANKARA, Aug 2 (Reuters) - Turkey has blocked access to

social media platform Instagram, the infotech regulator said on

Friday, without stating a reason or duration for the ban, which

also left the platform's mobile app inaccessible.

The move follows comments on Wednesday by Turkish

communications official Fahrettin Altun, criticising the

platform for what he called its decision to block condolence

posts on the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, a key official of

Palestinian militant group Hamas.

"This is censorship, pure and simple," Altun, the

communications director of the Turkish presidency, said on X,

adding that Instagram had not cited any policy violations for

its action.

There was no immediate comment from Instagram parent Meta

Platforms Inc ( META ) on either the ban or Altun's comments.

Turkey's Information Technologies and Communication

Authority (BTK) published the Aug. 2 decision on its website.