Police have detained 27 people, including minors, in an investigation into the incel group "C31K" over alleged preparations for armed attacks on schools, the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said.
The operation was carried out simultaneously in 22 provinces, centered on Ankara. Prosecutors issued detention orders for 32 suspects, 19 of them children. Efforts to locate five remaining suspects continue.
The prosecutor’s office said the investigation was launched over what it described as “criminal content” shared on social media and messaging platforms.
It also alleged that the suspects had posted about preparations for armed attacks targeting three schools in three provinces.
95% of İstanbul families concerned about school attacks
Previous investigations
Groups operating under the C31K name on platforms like Telegram and Discord have previously been investigated over threats and abuse targeting children and animals, the sharing of personal data and violent content.
Dozens of people, including minors, were arrested in September last year, with 10 individuals formally arrested.
Turkey bans Discord after revelations of 'incel' cyberbullying, child exploitation
C31K also came under scrutiny after back-to-back school shootings in Urfa and Maraş in April, which left nine people dead and dozens injured.
Nine killed in second school shooting in Turkey in two days
Following the attacks, the General Directorate of Security said 111 Telegram channels it assessed as linked to C31K had been shut down.
Authorities had also blocked access to 1,866 web addresses and detained 411 people over posts that allegedly contained threats or calls for violent action.
Rise of Incel ideology in Turkey ‘fueled by government policies’
(NÖ/VK)
