More than 1500 charged for using social media to support terrorism in Turkey

ANKARA – Anadolu Agency

More than 1,500 people were taken into custody over the last six months on charges of promoting terrorism on social media, the Turkish Interior Ministry said in a statement on Dec. 24.  

Turkish authorities are investigating some 10,000 people on suspicion of using social media to support terrorism. While 1,656 of them were remanded in custody, and 1,203 were released on condition of judicial control, along with 767 others released without such controls.        

Some 84 suspects are still being questioned by the police.

Last month, 13 lawmakers from the opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) were detained and 10 others, including co-chairs Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ, were arrested on terrorism-related charges.

The lawmakers face prosecution under anti-terrorism legislation after their parliamentary immunities were lifted earlier this year.        

The government accuses the HDP of being linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, United States and the European Union.