Turkish police have raided 38 homes with the help of IP addresses and arrested 25 Twitter users who were sympathetic to the anti-government demonstrations in Istanbul.
HumanIPO reported earlier this week Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan blamed Twitter for the demonstrations in Istanbul, saying social media was “the worst menace to society”.
Most of those arrested are teenagers accused of spreading false and inciting information. The mother to one of the suspects told CNN that police with the Smuggling and Organized Crime Unit showed up in force looking for her daughter, a high school senior, but she refused to hand her over without assurances that she would not languish in custody.
“I’m not giving my daughter up,” teenage suspect Begum Ozpaklar’s mother said. “I spoke to our lawyer, who spoke with the police, and I’m not handing my daughter to them until I know that they will take her statement immediately.”
The government’s response to demonstrations has been condemned by protesters and human rights groups.
Authorities have used tear gas and water cannons on protesters, sparking violent clashes that medical officials say have injured at least 4,355 people, according to the Turkish Medical Association.
Two people have been killed, one person in Istanbul and one in Hatay. Three remain in critical condition with 10 suffering head trauma. At least 10 people have lost an eye, the association told CNN Wednesday.
