Turkiye detains 4 people over earthquake social media posts. Following a significant 7.8-magnitude earthquake in southern Turkey on Tuesday, Turkish police announced that four people had been detained for “provocative” social media posts.
More than 4,800 people were killed in Turkey and Syria by the earthquake that hit the area early on Monday. Thousands more were injured, and many more were left without shelter in the freezing weather.
The four individuals were detained after officers found accounts that shared “provocative posts aiming to create fear and panic”, the police said.
It also stated that more inquiries into social media accounts were ongoing, but it made no mention of the posts’ contents.
People have posted a lot on Turkish social media criticising the lack of search and rescue activities in their region, particularly in Hatay. The police appeared to address such claims on Tuesday.
“The address and location information of citizens who seek help is immediately ascertained and coordination is established,” they said.
Turkish authorities have cracked down on social media posts in recent years, particularly those seen as supporting “terror,” but this has sparked claims that freedom of expression has been restricted.
