Four people were arrested across Turkey for allegedly praising Friday’s failed military coup attempt and insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on social media.
The suspects were arrested in Düzce, Karaman and Zonguldak provinces after a failed coup attempt that killed more than 200 people and injured nearly 1,600 more.
The move came amid a massive crackdown on Turkey’s high ranking soldiers, judiciary members, and public personnel over alleged links to the failed military coup attempt.
In the recent years, Turkey has seen a massive rise in prosecution against social media users, including journalists, politicians and high profile figures, on charges of “insulting President Erdoğan”. Minister of Justice Bekir Bozdağ announced in early March that his ministry granted permission for prosecution of 1,845 individuals due to “insulting Erdoğan” between August 2014 and March 2016.