Turkey police arrests 78 people for provocative posts on earthquake

Ankara: Turkish police announced on Wednesday the arrest of 78 people accused of spreading fear and panic by sharing provocative posts on social media about two devastating earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria on Monday, February 6.

Turkish police said that 20 of the detainees who were arrested are being held and are awaiting trial.

In the same context, the General Directorate of Security in Turkey stated that it had identified 613 people accused of publishing provocative publications, and that legal procedures had begun against 293 people, and the Public Prosecution ordered the arrest of 78 of them, Reuters reported.

The directorate added that 46 websites were blocked for their involvement in fraudulent schemes to try to steal donations destined for earthquake victims, and 15 accounts on social networking sites were closed for impersonating official institutions.

On February 6, the earthquake struck southeastern Turkey and northern Syria with a magnitude of 7.7, followed hours later by another with a magnitude of 7.6 and dozens of aftershocks, which left great losses in lives and property in both countries.

It is worth noting that the death toll from the two devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria has exceeded 41,000, while millions need humanitarian aid.