Newsletters
Turkish authorities issued arrest warrants Thursday for 83 people and blocked hundreds of social media accounts as part of investigations following deadly school attacks in Sanliurfa and Kahramanmaras, officials said.
In a statement, the Turkish General Directorate of Security said the warrants targeted individuals accused of sharing content that glorified crime and criminals or aimed to disrupt public order in the aftermath of the attacks.
“Arrest warrants have been issued for 83 individuals identified as having engaged in posts and activities that glorify crime and criminals and aim to disrupt public order,” the statement said.
Authorities also blocked access to 940 social media accounts and shut down 93 Telegram groups, it added.
The measures came after a shooting at a middle school in Türkiye’s Kahramanmaras province on Wednesday left nine people dead and 13 injured, six of them critically, Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci said.
Kahramanmaras Governor Mukerrem Unluer said the attack was carried out by a male eighth-grade student at Ayser Calik Secondary School for reasons not yet known.
The student entered two classrooms and opened fire indiscriminately after bringing multiple firearms to school in a backpack, Unluer said.
The suspected attacker also died, though officials said it remains unclear whether he died by suicide or during the chaos.
Authorities said the weapons may have belonged to the suspect’s father, a former police officer. The student reportedly brought five firearms and seven magazines to the school.
Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said prosecutors had launched a comprehensive investigation into the attack.
“Three deputy chief public prosecutors and four public prosecutors have been assigned to the investigation. Our chief public prosecutor and the assigned prosecutors are continuing their work at the scene,” Gurlek said.
Education Minister Yusuf Tekin traveled to the region following the attack, while the Education Ministry said four chief inspectors had been dispatched to examine the incident.
Communications Director Burhanettin Duran said all aspects of the incident were being carefully reviewed and urged media outlets to exercise caution in coverage, given the involvement of minors.
Gurlek said media coverage restrictions had been imposed to protect the integrity of the investigation.
The Justice Ministry said it had launched urgent legal proceedings against individuals accused of glorifying the violence, justifying the perpetrator, spreading fear and panic, or disseminating misleading information online.
Authorities said digital activity related to the attack was being monitored nationwide in coordination with 171 heavy criminal courts.
The crackdown came one day after a separate school shooting in Sanliurfa’s Siverek district, where a gunman wounded 16 people before killing himself.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
1 min read
