Turkey Detains Dozens Over Social Media Posts on Istanbul Mayor

Turkish authorities said they detained 37 people over social media posts criticizing the contentious detention of Istanbul’s popular mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, which triggered a market meltdown on Wednesday.

Police identified 261 “suspicious account managers,” Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said in a post on X on Thursday. The suspects made “provocative statements” on social media platforms, Yerlikaya said, accusing them of inciting hatred and provoking people to commit crimes. Cybersecurity forces continue conducting “virtual patrols” around the clock, he said.