Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The social media crackdown is being seen as an extension of President Erdogan's purge of "anti-government" individuals

Turkey is investigating 10,000 people on suspicion of using social media to support terrorism, its interior ministry has said.

They are accused of insulting government officials online, or what the ministry called "terror-related activity" on the internet.

The ministry said the fight against terrorism was being carried out "with determination" on social media.

The authorities have held 3,710 people for questioning in the last six months.

Of those, 1,656 have been formally arrested and 84 are still being questioned.

'Calculated blackouts'

Access to social media sites like Twitter and Facebook is often blocked in Turkey, especially after bombings.

Internet monitoring groups believe the outages are calculated blackouts designed to block the spread of militant propaganda.

Turkey denies this, and has blamed past episodes on spikes in internet usage after major events.

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Internet use was severely disrupted after Russia's ambassador to Turkey was shot dead on Monday.

Reports suggest Twitter and YouTube have also slowed down since Thursday, when a video emerged allegedly showing two Turkish soldiers being burned alive by the so-called Islamic State.

Image copyright EPA Image caption Internet use was disrupted in Turkey after this man killed Andrey Karlov, Russia's ambassador to Ankara

Image copyright AFP/Getty Images Image caption Turkey's Interior Minister, Suleyman Soylu, speaks to journalists after the ambassador's killing

Activists and foreign powers have raised repeated concerns about repression in Turkey since the summer.

After a coup failed to unseat him in July, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared a state of emergency and began purging officials, soldiers, teachers, police and judges who were perceived as "anti-government".

Critics say the president is using the state of emergency to tighten his grip on power and stifle opponents.

Since the attempted coup, more than 150 media outlets have been shut down and 140 journalists arrested.

As of November, more than 125,000 state employees had been sacked or suspended.</s>The crackdown, which comes amid ongoing purges of those suspected of supporting this summer's coup attempt, is causing concern among rights groups and some allies. The country has formally arrested 1,656 people for supporting terrorist organizations or insulting officials over social media, the ministry said in the same announcement.

Some 10,000 are under investigation at the moment. Legal action has been taken against 3,710 people in total, with 767 released, 1,203 people released on probation and 84 still in detention, AP reports. They have been charged with provoking hatred, praising terrorist groups, spreading terrorist propaganda, declaring allegiance to terrorist groups, insulting statesmen, undermining the state and threatening the safety of citizens.

After the failed coup attempt in July, Turkey declared a state of emergency. Since then, 100,000 people have been fired or suspended from their jobs, and the investigations continue. Despite international alarm, Ankara has said the measures are necessary given the threat it faces from Islamic terrorist groups and Kurdish militias.

More than 150 media outlets have been shut down since the coup attempt and 140 journalists arrested, Reuters reports.

Social media websites were shut down briefly December 22 after a video was released by Daesh that claimed to show two Turkish soldiers being burned alive. Many websites were also temporarily blocked after the December 10 explosions in Istanbul that killed dozens of police officers.

The Turkish government says it does not block access to websites, Reuters reports, but instead blames outages on usage spikes. Internet watchdog groups disagree.

December has been a tragic month in the country, as terrorists have targeted police and soldiers through car bomb attacks in Istanbul and Kayseri. Forty-four were killed in a shooting and bomb attack at Ataturk Airport in June, and 50 were killed in a suicide bombing at a wedding in August.</s>Turkey is investigating 10,000 people on suspicion of using social media to support terrorism, its interior ministry has said.

They are accused of insulting government officials online, or what the ministry called "terror-related activity" on the internet.

The ministry said the fight against terrorism was being carried out "with determination" on social media.

The authorities have held 3,710 people for questioning in the last six months.

Of those, 1,656 have been formally arrested and 84 are still being questioned.

Access to social media sites like Twitter and Facebook is often blocked in Turkey, especially after bombings.

Internet monitoring groups believe the outages are calculated blackouts designed to block the spread of militant propaganda.

Turkey denies this, and has blamed past episodes on spikes in internet usage after major events.

Internet use was severely disrupted after Russia's ambassador to Turkey was shot dead on Monday.

Reports suggest Twitter and YouTube have also slowed down since Thursday, when a video emerged allegedly showing two Turkish soldiers being burned alive by the so-called Islamic State.

Activists and foreign powers have raised repeated concerns about repression in Turkey since the summer.

After a coup failed to unseat him in July, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared a state of emergency and began purging officials, soldiers, teachers, police and judges who were perceived as "anti-government".

Critics say the president is using the state of emergency to tighten his grip on power and stifle opponents.

Since the attempted coup, more than 150 media outlets have been shut down and 140 journalists arrested.

As of November, more than 125,000 state employees had been sacked or suspended.</s>Authorities in Turkey have arrested 1,656 people in the past six months for allegedly supporting terrorist organisations or insulting officials on social media - and are investigating at least 10,000 others.

The interior ministry said legal action had been taken against 3,710 people identified by police.

Besides those arrested, 1,203 people were released on probation, 767 were released and 84 others are still in detention.

Additionally, investigations and legal procedures are under way against an additional 10,000 people reported to public prosecutors.

Turkey has cracked down on dissent following a failed coup in July, with thousands detained over alleged ties to outlawed groups.

Authorities also frequently restrict access to social media platforms to prevent the spread of material authorities say would harm public security.</s>Turkey is investigating 10,000 people suspected of terror-related activity on the internet or posting comments on social media insulting government officials.

The inquiries are part of the “fight against terrorism”, which continues with determination everywhere, including on social networks.

After a coup attempt in July, Turkey declared a state of emergency and launched deep purges of perceived opponents, sparking concern among human rights groups which accuse Ankara of repression.

Turkish authorities are often accused of restricting access to social networks after serious incidents, such as attacks, to stop the circulation of information that could “undermine state security”.

Access was severely disrupted after the assassination on Monday of Andrei Karlov, Russia’s ambassador to Turkey . Twitter and YouTube have slowed since the publication on Thursday of a video in which the Islamic State group purportedly burned alive two captured Turkish soldiers.

Read more: Record number of journalists in jail globally after Turkey crackdown</s>
• and targeting the indivisibility of the state or safety of citizens.

Erdogan continues to crackdown on free speech, targeting social media users.Social media is taking a double hit in Turkey, under Erdogan's rule.Facebook and Twitter are already censorsing of "fake news" (meaning any publication that is not establishment media or liberal left ideology).Erdogan is also cracking down on social media free speech, implementing his own "fake news" censoring policy.In the last six months Turkish authorities have arrested 1,656 people accused of supporting terrorist organizations or insulting government officials on social media. At least 10,000 others social media users are under investigation according to the Interior Ministry.In a statement issued Saturday, the AP reported that the Interior Ministry saidCharges include: AP reports ...</s>Turkish authorities are often accused of restricting access to social networks after serious incidents, such as attacks, to stop the circulation of information that could "undermine state security" (AFP Photo/ADEM ALTAN)

Istanbul (AFP) - Turkey is investigating 10,000 people suspected of terror-related activity on the internet or posting comments on social media insulting government officials, the interior ministry said on Saturday.

The inquiries are part of the "fight against terrorism, which continues with determination everywhere, including on social networks", the ministry said in a statement.

After a coup attempt in July, Turkey declared a state of emergency and launched deep purges of perceived opponents, sparking concern among human rights groups which accuse Ankara of repression.

More than 1,600 people accused of "propaganda or apologising for terrorism" or "insulting state officials" have been arrested in the past six months, according to the ministry.

Turkish authorities are often accused of restricting access to social networks after serious incidents, such as attacks, to stop the circulation of information that could "undermine state security".

Access was severely disrupted after the assassination on Monday of Andrei Karlov, Russia's ambassador to Turkey.

And Twitter and YouTube have slowed since the publication on Thursday of a video in which the Islamic State group purportedly burned alive two captured Turkish soldiers.

An internet monitoring body, Turkey Blocks, also reported difficulties accessing virtual private networks which are routinely used to circumvent restrictions on access to social networks or websites.</s>Turkish authorities have formally arrested 1,656 people in the past six months for allegedly supporting terrorist organizations or insulting officials on social media, and are investigating at least 10,000 others, the Interior Ministry said Saturday.

In a statement it said legal action had been taken against 3,710 people identified by police. Beside those arrested, 1,203 people were released on probation, 767 were released and 84 others are still in detention.

Charges include provoking hatred among the people; praising terrorist organizations; disseminating terrorist propaganda; openly declaring allegiance to terrorist groups; insulting statesmen; and targeting the indivisibility of the state or safety of citizens.

Investigations and legal procedures are underway against an additional 10,000 people reported to public prosecutors.

Turkey declared a state of emergency soon after a failed coup in July, detaining thousands of citizens and purging tens of thousands of public servants over alleged ties to outlawed groups.

Western governments, human rights group and legal experts have repeatedly expressed concern over the crackdown, which some say has begun targeting political opponents and critics. Ankara defends its actions saying they are necessary precautions in the face of ongoing nationwide terrorism.

This year Turkey has seen a series of attacks and bombings in major cities that were the work of either the Islamic State group or Kurdish militants.

Turkey frequently restricts access to social media websites to prevent the spread of graphic images and other material authorities say would harm public order or security.

Such restrictions usually follow a major crackdown or a terrorist attack. On Friday access was restricted to social media websites for several hours after the Islamic State group released a video purportedly showing two Turkish soldiers being burned alive.</s>The inquiries are part of the "fight against terrorism, which continues with determination everywhere.

Turkey is investigating 10,000 people suspected of terror-related activity on the internet or posting comments on social media insulting government officials, the interior ministry said on Saturday.

The inquiries are part of the "fight against terrorism, which continues with determination everywhere, including on social networks", the ministry said in a statement.

After a coup attempt in July, Turkey declared a state of emergency and launched deep purges of perceived opponents, sparking concern among human rights groups which accuse Ankara of repression.

More than 1,600 people accused of "propaganda or apologising for terrorism" or "insulting state officials" have been arrested in the past six months, according to the ministry.

Turkish authorities are often accused of restricting access to social networks after serious incidents, such as attacks, to stop the circulation of information that could "undermine state security".

Access was severely disrupted after the assassination on Monday of Andrei Karlov, Russia’s ambassador to Turkey.

And Twitter and YouTube have slowed since the publication on Thursday of a video in which the Islamic State group purportedly burned alive two captured Turkish soldiers.

An internet monitoring body, Turkey Blocks, also reported difficulties accessing virtual private networks which are routinely used to circumvent restrictions on access to social networks or websites.

This post was syndicated from pulse.ng - Nigeria's entertainment & lifestyle platform online. Click here to read the full text on the original website.

Also, Like us on facebook</s>ANKARA : Turkish authorities are investigating some 10,000 people on suspicion of using social media to support terrorism, the interior ministry said on Saturday, part of a wide crackdown that has alarmed rights groups and some Western allies.

Turkey, which faces security threats from Kurdish and leftist militants and Islamic State, has sacked or suspended more than 100,000 people following an attempted military coup in July. It says the measures are necessary to root out supporters of the putsch and other terrorists.

Rights groups and some European countries have said President Tayyip Erdogan is using the current state of emergency to quash dissent. Since the coup, more than 150 media outlets have been shut down and 140 journalists arrested.

The interior ministry said on Saturday the fight against terrorism was being carried out "with determination" in social media.

In the last six months, authorities have detained 3,710 people for questioning, the ministry said. Of those, 1,656 have been formally arrested and 84 are still being questioned.

The remaining 1,970 have been released, although 1,203 of those are still being monitored, it said.

Access to social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook is commonly blocked, particularly after bombings or other deadly attacks, internet monitoring groups have said. Turkey denies that it blocks the internet, and has previously blamed outages on spikes in usage after major events.

Technical experts at watchdog groups say the blackouts on social media are intentional, aimed in part at stopping the spread of militant images and propaganda.
Turkey probes around 10,000 social media users for allegedly insulting government officials or supporting "terror-related activity."