Turkish police have detained 162 people for posts about school shootings
Turkish police have detained 162 people accused of spreading content that could cause panic or discredit official information regarding attacks on educational institutions. The detentions followed the tragic events of April 14 and 15, when shootings occurred at Turkish schools.
The BBC reported this, citing a statement by Turkish Justice Minister Akin Gürlek regarding tighter control over the information space.
According to law enforcement officials, 95 people were detained for posting prohibited video footage from the sites of the attacks and glorifying the crimes on social media. Another 67 people are suspected of spreading posts containing threats or hints of possible new attacks at other schools across the country. In addition to the mass detentions, authorities have imposed restrictions on 1,104 accounts that were spreading misleading information contrary to official statements.
The minister emphasized that these measures are aimed at preventing the spread of disinformation that provokes fear among the population. Investigations are ongoing, and monitoring of platforms remains a priority to prevent further escalation of tensions. Turkish authorities have urged citizens to rely only on official sources in light of similar incidents previously recorded in Russia and other countries in the region.
On April 14, a shooting occurred at a high school in the province of Şanlıurfa, Turkey, leaving at least 16 people injured.
On April 15, a shooting occurred at a secondary school in the city of Kahramanmaraş in southern Turkey. The attack killed 9 people—8 students and 1 teacher. Another 13 people were injured.
