Turkey’s Security Directorate General (EGM) has notified prosecutors of social media posts shared by 29 people about the novel coronavirus, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported on Wednesday.
The EGM’s cybercrime unit reportedly conducted online monitoring to determine social media content claiming that Turkish authorities have been hiding the spread of the virus within the country.
The users were reported to prosecutors for “provoking fear and panic among the public.”
On Tuesday night Health Minister Fahrettin Koca confirmed the first Turkish case of COVID-19, caused by the novel coronavirus.
The global death toll from the virus is now over 4,000, with nearly 114,000 confirmed cases.