948 detained over terror propaganda on social media after Istanbul twin bombings

A total of 948 people have been detained after twin bombings in the Beşiktaş district of Istanbul in December 2016 which claimed 46 lives over the past two months for allegedly providing support to terror or disseminating terror propaganda through social media, state-run Anadolu Agency reported on Feb. 8.

Security forces conducted operations across the country between Dec. 11, 2016, and Feb. 6, targeting suspects who allegedly supported terror organizations, conducted "terror propaganda" with posts and "insulted statesmen and security forces" through Facebook and Twitter following the attack.

According to figures, a total of 948 people were detained in the operations. Some 248 were later arrested by courts while the other 700 were either released on probation or after testifying to police, the agency said.

Among the detained were also journalists, police officers, soldiers and public officers, it added.

On Dec. 10, 2016, a bomb-laden vehicle ran into riot police following a match between Beşiktaş and Bursaspor outside the Vodafone Arena. Just 45 seconds later, a suicide bomber blew himself up at Maçka Park just across from the stadium. 

A total of 46 people, including 38 police officers, were killed and 164 people were wounded in the attack, which was claimed by the Kurdistan Freedom Hawks (TAK), an offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Cyber police units had previously carried out similar works as an investigation had been launched into over 300 social media users who posted in support of terror following the Reina nightclub attack in Istanbul that killed 39 people in the early hours of Jan. 1.

Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım also called on citizens to be cautious on social media,...