Istanbul:

Turkey began unblocking Instagram Saturday evening after depriving access to millions of users for nine days.

“Following our negotiations with representatives of Instagram, we will unblock access starting from 9:30 pm (1830 GMT) after they agreed to respond to our demands,” transport and infrastructure minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said on X.

Instagram access began to progressively return after that time, AFP reporters noted.

“Since the beginning, we have wanted social media platforms to respect the laws of the Republic,” Uraloglu insisted.

The platform had been blocked since the morning of August 2 for reasons that were never fully explained.

Saturday evening the minister mentioned “violations linked to content”, adding that Instagram had refused to delete thousands of posts involving “gambling, drugs and abuse of children”.

Meta, the owner of Instagram, denied not cooperating, saying it had withdrawn almost 2,500 posts in the first half of the year at the request of Turkish authorities.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s communications director, Fahrettin Altun, accused Instagram of blocking messages of condolence for Ismael Haniyeh, political leader of the Palestinian group Hamas and a close ally of Erdogan’s.

Haniyeh was killed in Tehran last month in an attack blamed on Israel.

Between 60 and 70 percent of Turkey’s 85 million inhabitants have an Instagram account, and about $57 million of business is carried out on the site each day, according to Emre Ekmekci, vice-president of an e-commerce association.

Access to the online game Roblox, particularly popular in Turkey, remained blocked for a fourth day Saturday evening.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Ankara, Turkey:

Turkey on Friday blocked access to the Instagram social media network, the national communications authority said without explanation, following censorship accusations against the US company by a high-ranking Turkish official.

The BTK communications authority said in a post on its website that “instagram.com has been blocked by a decision on the date of 02/08/2024”, without adding further details.

Many users living in Turkey complained on the X platform that they could not refresh their Instagram feed, an issue verified by AFP journalists.

The Turkish presidency’s communications director Fahrettin Altun on Wednesday hit out at Meta-owned Instagram, accusing the platform of “impeding people from publishing messages of condolence for the martyr Haniyeh”.

Ismail Haniyeh, the political chief of the armed Palestinian Islamist group Hamas and a close ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was killed in Tehran on Wednesday in an attack blamed on Israel.

“This is a very clear and obvious attempt at censure,” Altun said on X.

According to Turkish media, there are more than 50 million users signed up to Instagram in Turkey, out of a population of 85 million.

The decision sparked mockery on other social media networks such as X.

A meme showing a congested metro station with the tagline: “X when Turks wake up to find that Instagram is blocked”, began trending on the platform.

“Instagram is blocked in Turkey, life is over”, wrote user “CringeOfMaster” alongside a picture of a grieving man.

Others mockingly asked Instagram users where they could see their doctored images now.

This is not the first time that Turkish authorities have blocked access to social media sites.

Wikipedia was blocked between April 2017 and January 2020 over two articles that alleged a link between the presidency and extremism.

That caused shock in a country where Erdogan’s government is often accused of attacking civil freedoms due to the amount of online information that became inaccessible.

In April, Facebook owner Meta suspended its Threads social network in Turkey following a decision by authorities there to prevent it from sharing information with Instagram.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

A woman pets a dog during a rally to protest against a bill drafted by the government that aims to remove stray dogs off the country’s streets, in Ankara, Turkey, on July 28, 2024
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Turkey’s parliament approved on July 29 a move to euthanise some of the country’s four million stray dogs, a measure opponents say could lead to a vast animal cull.

The controversial article, part of a draft law on the fate of the animals, says those who are sick or deemed aggressive must be put down.

The rest of the bill is being debated today and expected to be adopted in the next few days.

The government says the euthanasia clause is needed to prevent dog attacks and the spread of rabies.

It says the other homeless dogs should be captured en masse, placed in animal shelters and put up for adoption.

Critics say relying on animal sanctuaries and adoption is ultimately unworkable because of the numbers involved.

Animal rights campaigners, who fear the draft law is a cover for a huge cull despite government denials, instead advocate a mass sterilisation campaign.

MPs began examining the 17-clause bill on Sunday, when deputies opposed to the measure protested by putting on white gloves stained with fake blood.

The emotional debate has revived memories of a 1910 tragedy when the Ottoman authorities rounded up around 60,000 stray dogs in Istanbul and sent them to a deserted rock in the Sea of Marmara.

With nothing else to eat, the dogs tore each other to pieces.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said ahead of the debate that Turkey faced a problem “like no other civilised country” and which was “growing exponentially”.

The president, whose conservative AKP party and its allies hold an absolute majority in parliament, said on Wednesday people wanted “safe streets”.

The opposition Republican People’s Party, which controls Istanbul and other major cities, has said its mayors will not apply the law if it is passed.

Demonstrations have taken place in recent weeks, including inside parliament.

The euthanasia clause adopted on Monday says dogs will be put down if they “present a danger to the life or health of people and animals, display uncontrollable negative behaviour, have a contagious or incurable disease or whose adoption is forbidden”.

The government has said Mayors who refuse to carry out the law could be jailed.

It has banned visitors’ access to parliament to avoid further protests.

Jerusalem:

Israel’s foreign minister on Monday called on NATO to expel Turkey as a member of the organization, in a move likely to further raise tensions between the countries.

“In light of Turkish President Erdogan’s threats to invade Israel and his dangerous rhetoric, Foreign Minister Israel Katz instructed diplomats to urgently engage with all NATO members, calling for the condemnation of Turkey and demanding its expulsion from the regional alliance,” the foreign ministry said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Ankara:

Turkey’s ruling party presented a bill to parliament on Friday that aims to round up millions of stray dogs, a plan that has alarmed animal lovers who say a mass neutering campaign would be a better solution than locking dogs up in shelters.

Under the draft law proposed by the AK party, municipalities would be charged with getting strays off the street and into shelters until they are adopted. Aggressive dogs or any with untreatable diseases would be put down.

“Streets are not a space for dogs to live. But they have the right to live in more qualified shelters,” Abdullah Guler, chair of the AK party’s parliamentary group, told reporters.

An earlier version of the bill, which was leaked to Turkish media months ago, said all street dogs could be put down within a month but the provision was removed after public outcry, including from opposition politicians.

The population of street dogs in Turkey is estimated to be 4 million, and 2.5 million dogs have been neutered in the past 20 years by municipalities, according to the draft bill.

Under current legislation, municipalities have to neuter and vaccinate all street dogs and leave them where they were found following treatment.

There are currently 322 animal shelters with a capacity to host a total of 105,000 dogs, according to the bill.

The draft bill also requires all municipalities to spend at least 0.3% of their annual budget on animal rehabilitation services and building shelters.

Municipalities will be given time until 2028 to build new shelters and improve current shelters, the bill says.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

The Netherlands struck two second-half goals in seven minutes to come from behind to beat Turkey 2-1 on Saturday and set up a Euro 2024 semi-final clash with England. Samet Akaydin sent Turkey ahead in the first half but Stefan de Vrij headed the Netherlands level and Murt Muldur turned into his own net under pressure from Cody Gakpo after 76 minutes to hand the Dutch victory. The build-up to the quarter-final clash in Berlin was overshadowed by a diplomatic row between Turkey and Germany after their last-16 hero Merih Demiral was banned for two matches for making a controversial salute. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attended the match at the Olympiastadion as a result, along with tens of thousands of fans who greeted every sustained Dutch period of possession with a barrage of whistles.

Netherlands overcame the pressure from the stands and Turkey’s energetic style, as well as a flurry of late chances, to reach the Euros semi-finals for the first time since 2004.

Turkey coach Vincenzo Montella deployed five at the back, hoping his young side could catch Netherlands on the counter-attack.

It was the 1988 Euros champions who carved out the first chance, with Gakpo and Memphis Depay linking up well before the latter blazed over.

Koeman captained the Netherlands to glory 36 years ago but until their convincing 3-0 win over Romania in the last 16, the Dutch looked incapable of challenging for the trophy, sneaking through their group in third place.

They reverted to that weaker self in the first half after their early incursions, allowing Turkey to firmly establish themselves in the game.

Montella’s side began to pin the Netherlands back with a string of set pieces, eventually capitalising after 35 minutes when Arda Guler recycled a corner which was only half-cleared.

The 19-year-old Real Madrid playmaker swirled in a cross dripping with temptation with his weaker right foot, and Akaydin, who returned from suspension to replace the banned Demiral, powered home a far post header.

Turkish fans, unsurprisingly filling three-quarters of the stadium given their large diaspora in Germany, roared and ignited flares in celebration.

Koeman had to shake things up at the interval and brought on Wout Weghorst, the team’s saviour against Poland in their opening fixture, for Steven Bergwijn.

The burly Burnley striker made a rapid impact, giving the Netherlands a target to hit up front, which they looked for with regularity.

Guler continued to probe at the other end and was scythed down by Nathan Ake as he threatened to break free.

The youngster took the resulting free-kick himself and crashed a low effort against Bart Verbruggen’s post with the goalkeeper scrambling.

Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk was booked for fouling the rapid Baris Alper Yilmaz as he flew past him on the right wing.

Turkey, in their first quarter-final at a major tournament since 2008, almost grabbed a second but Verbruggen saved well from Kenan Yildiz’s stinging low effort from the edge of the box.

With 20 minutes to go, Weghorst forced a smart save from Mert Gunok, but the Turkish goalkeeper was eventually beaten by De Vrij after 70 minutes.

Memphis Depay swung in a cross after a short corner and Inter Milan defender De Vrij met it with a towering header to level the score.

Just six minutes later Netherlands went ahead when Denzel Dumfries swept in a dangerous low cross which Muldur bundled into his own net under heavy pressure from Euros joint-top scorer Gakpo. It was the 10th own goal of the tournament.

Although Weghorst was not directly involved in either goal, his presence in the box unsettled a Turkey defence that largely kept the Netherlands at bay in the first half.

Turkey should have levelled but Zeki Celik and Kerem Akturkoglu had efforts blocked and the Netherlands lived to fight another day — against England on Wednesday in Dortmund.

Netherlands vs Turkey Live Streaming Euro 2024 Quarter Final Live Telecast: When And Where To Watch© AFP

Turkey defender Merih Demiral will miss his team’s Euro 2024 quarter-final clash with the Netherlands after UEFA suspended him for two games on Friday for making an alleged ultra-nationalist salute. Demiral scored both of Turkey’s goals in the 2-1 last-16 win over Austria on Tuesday and during celebrations for his second goal made a gesture associated with Turkish right-wing extremist group Grey Wolves. UEFA said in a statement Demiral was banned “for violating the basic rules of decent conduct, for using sports events for manifestations of a non-sporting nature and for bringing the sport of football into disrepute.”

Demiral will also miss a potential semi-final against England or Switzerland should Turkey overcome the Netherlands on Saturday.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will attend the quarter-final at the Olympiastadion in Berlin after Demiral’s salute triggered a diplomatic row between Turkey and Euro 2024 host nation Germany.

Turkey summoned the German ambassador on Wednesday over politicians’ reactions to Demiral’s celebration.

Germany’s Interior Minister Nancy Faeser warned “the symbols of Turkish right-wing extremists have no place in our stadiums”.

While Erdogan himself has not yet weighed in on the row directly, several ministers and the spokesman of his ruling AKP party have condemned Faeser’s reaction.

Demiral said his celebration was related to his “Turkish identity”.

The 26-year-old former Juventus defender, now at Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia, said there was no “hidden message” in his gesture.

Demiral posted a photo of his celebration on X with the caption “How happy is the one who says ‘I am a Turk’.”

The Grey Wolves advocated radical ideas and used violence in the 1980s against leftist activists and ethnic minorities.

The group has been banned in Austria and France but not in Germany.

Germany’s agriculture minister Cem Ozdemir said Wednesday “nothing about the wolf salute is hidden”.

Ozdemir, one of the most prominent German politicians with Turkish roots, said the symbol “stands for terror (and) fascism”.

The Grey Wolves were labelled “a terrorist organisation” by the European Parliament in 2021 and “especially threatening for people with a Kurdish, Armenian, or Greek background and anyone they consider an opponent”.

Accusing German authorities of “xenophobia”, Turkey’s foreign ministry pointed out that Germany’s domestic intelligence service had emphasised in its report “not every person making the grey wolf sign can be described as a far-right extremist”.

Demiral’s double helped Turkey reach the last eight of a major tournament for the first time since 2008.

With an estimated three million Turks living in Germany, the team has enjoyed heavy backing across the country for its Euro 2024 matches.

Berlin police have said they will deploy more officers than usual for Saturday’s quarter-final, which is considered a “high-risk game”.

Germany’s capital is home to the largest Turkish community outside of Turkey, many of them the descendants of “guest workers” invited under a massive economic programme in the 1960s and 70s.

The UEFA Euro 2024 quarter-finals are set, and we have a bunch of blockbuster games coming up. One side of the quarter-final draw is stacked with reputed heavyweights, while a couple of underdogs have also slipped in to the Top 8 and could yet go much further. The five hot favourites ahead of Euro 2024 – France, England, Portugal, Spain and hosts Germany – are still in the race for glory. The Netherlands made it through after a convincing Round of 16 victory, while Switzerland and Turkey should not be counted out based on form.

The first quarter-final game, on July 5, is arguably the game of the tournament so far. Germany and Spain have been arguably the two best teams of Euro 2024 – and the two highest-scoring nations – but one journey will end here.

But speaking of the potential game of the tournament, and the second quarter-final – Portugal vs France – may have something to say about it. The two nations played out an enthralling 2-2 draw in Euro 2020, but have underwhelmed so far with their brand of football. Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe are also yet to take the tournament by storm.

Switzerland are proving to be the giant-killers this summer. After nearly beating Germany, they dispatched defending champions Italy with ease in the Round of 16. Now, they face England, who have had to rely on Jude Bellingham‘s heroics amid some unconvincing displays.

Finally, Netherlands face Turkey in the last bout of the quarters. Turkey dumped out a strong Austria, while Netherlands won 3-0 against Romania.

Euro 2024 Quarter Final Draw in full:

1. Spain vs Germany – Friday, July 5 – Stuttgart Arena, Stuttgart (9:30 PM IST)

2. Portugal vs France – Saturday, July 6 – Volksparkstadion, Hamburg (12:30 AM IST)

3. England vs Switzerland – Saturday, July 6 – Merkur Spiel-Arena, Dusseldorf (9:30 PM IST)

4. Netherlands vs Turkey – Sunday, July 7 – Olympiastadion, Berlin (12:30 AM IST)

The winner of Spain-Germany faces the winner of Portugal-France in the semis, while the winner of England-Switzerland faces the winner of Netherlands-Turkey.