Turkish police raided the house of a young man from the northern Syrian town of Kobane in Istanbul. It is reported that the man, named Abdullah Bozan, was detained because of posts on his Facebook account.

Bozan is said to have shared photos of guerrillas, the Hesekê resistance, Kobane martyrs and criticism that Turkey has become the largest prison in the world.

WITCH HUNT ON SOCIAL MEDIA

The Turkish state has been carrying out a witch hunt against dissidents on social media platforms in recent years.

According to data by the Ministry of Interior, 98,714 social media accounts were investigated in the first 9 months of 2021, while 39,601 people faced trials, 1,175 people were detained, and 52 people were imprisoned.

According to TIHV (Human Rights Foundation of Turkey) Documentation Centre, in the first 11 months of 2021, Turkish courts denied access to at least 945 internet news, 133 contents, 53 websites belonging to 7 different press outlets and broadcasting organizations, while at least 41 social media posts and 5 social media accounts were blocked. In the meantime, 7 people out of 14, including 1 teenager, were detained on charge of insulting the president, and 1 person was released on bail. Moreover, at least 14 artists were sued on grounds of 'insult' or 'insulting the President' and 'making propaganda for a terrorist organisation' through their social media posts.