Turkish police seek 83 arrests over online posts about two school shootings
The Facts
- Turkish police said they issued arrest warrants for 83 people over online posts and activities related to this week's school shootings.
- Police said the targeted posts and activities praised crime and criminals and negatively affected public order.
- Police said access to 940 social media accounts was blocked and 93 Telegram groups were shut down.
- A school shooting in Kahramanmaras on Wednesday killed nine people.
- The nine dead in the Kahramanmaras shooting included eight students and one teacher.
- Authorities said 13 people were wounded in the Kahramanmaras shooting.
- A separate school attack in southeastern Turkey the previous day injured 16 people.
Context
What prompted the police action?
Police said the arrest warrants were tied to online posts and activities that praised the two school shootings, glorified crime and criminals, and harmed public order BBC,Le Monde,LaProvence.com.
What happened in the Kahramanmaras school shooting?
Authorities said a shooting at a school in Kahramanmaras on Wednesday killed nine people — eight students and one teacher — and wounded 13 others BBC,La Voix du Nord,LaProvence.com.
Why is this story drawing so much attention in Turkey?
The shootings occurred on consecutive days, and several reports noted that school shootings are rare in Turkey, making the incidents especially shocking nationally Reuters,Straits Times,Pulse24.com ….
How left and right read it
After two school attacks in Turkey left nine dead in Kahramanmaras, including eight students and a teacher, and injured dozens more, authorities moved aggressively online, issuing 83 arrest warrants and blocking 940 social media accounts plus 93 Telegram groups. The immediate concern is stopping content that glorifies violence, but the scale of the crackdown also raises questions about how public order is being defined and enforced.
With nine people killed in the Kahramanmaras school shooting, including eight students and a teacher, and another 16 injured in a separate school attack the day before, Turkish authorities are treating the aftermath as a public safety threat on multiple fronts. Police say 83 people used online posts and activities to praise crime and criminals, prompting warrants, blocked accounts, and the shutdown of 93 Telegram groups.
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Wire services (4)
Independent coverage (50)
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