Crime · 16 April, 2026 · 1 min read
Turkish Police Detain 162 Over Online Praise For Deadly School Shootings
Turkish police detained 162 people over online posts praising two school shootings. Authorities blocked 1,104 social media accounts linked to the posts.
Arrest figures and scope of crackdown on online posts.
9 of 10 outlets skipped it: 93 Telegram groups were shut down as part of the crackdown..
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BBC
“Justice Minister Gürlek said 95 individuals had been taken into custody following government concerns over online behaviour following the attacks.”Read the original ↗
France 24
“Turkish police have detained more than 160 people on charges ranging from spreading misleading information to praising two deadly school shootings this week online, the justice minister said Thursday.”Read the original ↗
Shows inconsistency in reported arrest totals (95 vs more than 160), highlighting differing emphasis on the scale of the crackdown.
Mass Arrests
Turkish police detained 162 people accused of posting controversial online content about two deadly school shootings.
“Turkish police have detained 162 people accused of posting controversial content online about two deadly school shootings”
Justice Minister Akın Gürlek said the suspects were found to have engaged in posts praising crime and criminals and negatively affecting public order.
Access to 1,104 social media accounts was blocked.
The arrests came after a 14-year-old attacker killed nine people in Kahramanmaras.
An ex-student wounded 16 in Siverek before killing himself.
The Kahramanmaras suspect had planned the attack in advance.
He had referenced US mass killer Elliot Rodger in a WhatsApp profile photo.
Victims and Funerals
The shootings left at least 17 people dead, including eight children and a teacher.
Hundreds gathered near Kahramanmaras's main mosque for funerals.
One victim was identified as 10-year-old Zeynep.
The aunt of another victim, 10-year-old Shura, learned of her death on the news.
Teachers' unions called for a two-day strike.
President Erdogan expressed sadness.
Gun Access and Security
The Kahramanmaras attacker arrived at school armed with five guns and seven magazines.
“The teenage shooter killed nine people and wounded 13 others before being killed”
The weapons belonged to the attacker's father.
Turkey maintains gun ownership regulations, yet enforcement gaps exist.
Schools will remain closed in Kahramanmaras on Thursday and Friday.
Experts emphasize comprehensive approaches beyond gun control.