Authorities arrest 248 people over social media posts

February 7, 2017 3:46 PM

The government actively encourages people to report social media accounts that either insult or mock leaders.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) inspects an honor guard of Tanzania People's Defense Force soldiers during a welcoming ceremony at State House Grounds in Dar es Salaam on January 23, 2017

Turkey has detained 948 people, and of these arrested 248, over posts on social media that allegedly were supportive of terrorist acts or insulted leaders, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported on Tuesday.

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Some 700 people were released under judicial control, the report said.

The government actively encourages people to report social media accounts that either insult or mock leaders or voice support for various organizations.

In December, Anadolu reported that Turkish authorities opened investigations into 3,710 people over social media posts, while 1,656 suspects were formally arrested, over the previous six months.

The latest report noted the double suicide bombing in December in Istanbul which targeted security forces outside a football stadium, killing more than 45 people, including several civilians, saying some arrests pertained to comments on this attack.