Turkey says 121 detained for social media posts

Turkey says 121 detained for social media posts
October 11, 2019, 3:59 pm

Turkey has detained 121 people for social media posts critical of the country’s military offensive into northeast Syria. (File photo AP)

Turkey’s interior minister says Friday that 121 people have been detained for social media posts critical of Turkey’s military offensive into Kurdish-held northeastern Syria.

Suleyman Soylu said nearly 500 people were investigated for posts characterizing Turkey as an “invading” force and “insulting” the operation-dubbed Peace Spring- which is in its third day.

Turkey is fighting the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units, or YPG, which it considers to be an extension of a Kurdish insurgency within the country.

Turkey’s police force has previously said the investigations were under the charge of “terror propaganda.” Similar measures were taken during Turkey’s 2018 cross-border operation in Afrin in northwestern Syria, which was previously controlled by the YPG.

Turkey’s anti-terror laws are broad. Pro-Kurdish lawmakers and journalists have been convicted and imprisoned for terror propaganda.

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