Turkish authorities have detained 37 people suspected of publishing "provocative posts inciting crime and hatred" in connection with the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu. This was announced today by Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, quoted by Reuters, reports BTA.
Yesterday, Turkish authorities arrested Imamoglu, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's main rival, on charges of bribery and supporting a terrorist group. This was viewed by the main opposition party as "an attempt to overthrow the next president," the agency recalls.
Turkish authorities have identified 261 social media accounts, including 62 based abroad, for "provocative posts" after the detention of Imamoglu, as well as 105 others. Efforts to track down the remaining suspects are ongoing, Yerlikaya wrote on the social network Ex.
He added that in less than 24 hours after Imamoglu's detention, 18.6 million posts about him were shared on Ex.
Turkish authorities also seized the construction company co-owned by Imamoglu, the Istanbul Chief Prosecutor's Office said. In a statement late on Wednesday, the prosecutor's office said control of Imamoglu's construction company (İnşaat Ticaret ve Sanayi Anonim Şirketi) was seized based on reports of a financial crime investigation.