Authorities in Turkey Arrest 162 Individuals for Controversial Online Posts
Authorities in Turkey have taken 162 individuals into custody, accusing them of sharing contentious content on social media concerning recent tragic school shootings. These individuals are said to have shared posts that glorified illegal activities and wrongdoers, thus disrupting public peace.
Earlier this week, a high school in the southeastern part of the country was the scene of a horrific shooting where at least 16 people were injured. Not long after, another school in the city of Kahramanmaras experienced a similar tragedy, which resulted in nine casualties.
A Community Mourns
In the wake of these tragic incidents, hundreds of people congregated near the city’s main mosque to pay their respects to the young victims. One of the victims was a 10-year-old girl named Zeynep. Zeynep’s uncle, Mahmut, described her as a bright, respectful girl and said, "Now she is an angel, she flew away."
Family members of the victims, present at the funerals, voiced their concerns about the need for increased security measures in schools to prevent such incidents.
Details of the Kahramanmaras Shooting
The shooting at the Kahramanmaras school resulted in the death of at least eight students and one teacher. Additionally, 13 others were wounded, with six of them in a critical condition. The attacker, a 14-year-old, also lost his life during the incident at the Ayser Calik Middle School.
Upon investigating the suspect's digital materials, authorities discovered a document suggesting that this attack had been planned well in advance. On the suspect's computer, a document dated April 11, 2026, indicated an intention to carry out a significant operation in the near future.
The suspect had also shown admiration for Elliot Rodger, a mass murderer from the United States, by using his picture on his WhatsApp profile. Rodger had taken the lives of six people before ending his own in California in 2014.
Reports suggest that the attacker, believed to be a former student in his late teens, entered two classrooms, armed with five firearms and seven magazines. He reportedly fired at the victims indiscriminately using a shotgun before taking his own life with the same weapon.
Response from Turkish Authorities
Following these shocking events, the Justice Minister stated that 95 individuals had been taken into custody due to concerns about their online behavior after the attacks. This move is part of a broader effort to control the narrative and discourage any actions that could further destabilize the community.