Anadolu Agency: 24 activists detained over 'provocative social media posts'

Temel Demirer, Perihan Koca, Zeynep Kuray, Hakan Gülseven

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

Several activists have been detained during police raids as part of an investigation against the "Movement of the Nameless" (İsimsizler Hareketi), according to reports.

The group said on Twitter that attorney Tamer Doğan, Social Freedom Party (TÖP) spokesperson Perihan Koca, author Temel Demirer, journalists Zeynep Kuray and Hakan Gülseven actor Defne Halman and Özen Kulaçoğlu were detained.

The police raided the home of Koca, Gülseven, Kulaçoğlu Demirer and Kuray, it said. While Kuray was not at home at the time of the raid, the others were detained in their homes, it added.

The state-run Anadolu Agency (AA) later reported that 24 suspects were detained over "provocative social media posts" in the name of the "Movement of the Nameless."

The group allegedly "incited people into enmity and hatred, degraded state officials and attempted to erode the elected government," according to the AA report.

Eighteen people were detained in İstanbul, two were detained in Balıkesir, and one person was detained in each of the Denizli, Diyarbakır and Tekirdağ provinces, AA reported.

The TÖP also made a statement on Twitter, saying that their spokesperson was detained for "attempted coup via social media."

Özen Kulaçoğlu, the sibling of Taylan Kulaçoğlu, an arrested activist, said on Twitter that "Twenty police officers raided, I'm being detained at home."

Taylan Kulaçoğlu's attorney Tamer Doğan's home was also raided, according to Darıca Emekçi Kültür Derneği.

Gazete RED website's editor-in-chief Hakan Gülseven announced his detention, saying, "We are going again," in a tweet.

Author Temel Demirer was detained for "insulting the president," his spouse Sibel Özbudun said on Twitter. "Police officers who just raided our house with a search warrant by the 3rd Penal Court of Peace have detained Temel Demirer. The reason for Temel's detention is insulting the president with the Movement of the Nameless hashtag," she said.

Demirel was also detained together with women politicians from the People's Democratic Party (HDP) in 2018 and charged with "being an executive of an illegal organization" for allegedly "attending a press meeting of an illegal Kurdish women's group." (TP/VK)