A Turkish prosecutor opened investigations on Monday against 50 people accused of sharing "provocative content" about the powerful earthquake that left dozens dead on Friday in eastern Turkey, Turkish media reported.
The Ankara Prosecutor's Office has accused Internet users under investigation of "generating panic, fear and worry" among the population and of "insulting the organs and institutions of the Republic of Turkey and the Turkish people ”.
“Wind of panic on social networks”
They are particularly accused of having shared false images related to the earthquake on social networks, according to the media. Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu warned the "provocateurs" on Saturday, saying investigations will be launched against anyone who seeks to create "panic on social media."
The magnitude 6.7 earthquake that struck Elazig province on Friday evening left 41 people dead and more than 1,600 injured, according to the latest figures released by authorities on Monday. The authorities also decided to pay aid equivalent to some 6,200 euros to families whose homes were destroyed or severely damaged in the earthquake.
In search of survivors
Monday morning, thousands of rescuers continued to search the rubble of collapsed buildings in search of survivors, while authorities said that about 2,000 homes were "in critical condition".
Turkey is located in one of the most active seismic zones in the world. In 1999, a 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck the northwest of the country, killing more than 17,000 people, including a thousand in Istanbul.
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