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HEALTH-VIRUS-TURKEY
Turkey detains over 400 over ‘provocative’ virus posts
ANKARA, April 27, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Turkish authorities have detained 402
people over “baseless and provocative” social media posts about the
coronavirus pandemic, the interior ministry said on Monday.
The official said some of the posts in question included claims that a
lockdown would last longer than all-day weekend curfews announced by the
government and accusations that authorities were lying about the number of
deaths.
“In the past 42 days, 6,362 social media accounts have been analysed, and
855 suspects have been confirmed while 402 have been caught,” the ministry
tweeted.
The figure is separate from the detention of 410 people over similar
claims at the end of March, a ministry official clarified to AFP.
The government has taken measures to limit the spread of the virus
including shutting schools and restaurants, and ordering weekend curfews as
long as is necessary.
Turkey has confirmed over 2,800 deaths from more than 110,000 cases of
coronavirus that have been recorded.
BSS/AFP/MRU/1940rs