Erdogan’s electronic militias targeting the opposition

Aya Ezz

Twitter has taken down Turkish accounts working to smear the Turkish opposition.

Upon logging in, Twitter users were sent messages telling them that their accounts had been temporarily suspended because of abnormal activity.

In June, Twitter suspended thousands of fake accounts that targeted members of the Turkish opposition.

According to Turkish media, the accounts taken down recently belonged to an electronic group of the ruling Justice and Development Party.

Called “Bosporus Global”, the group combines a number of media outlets backing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Some of these outlets are owned by influential Turkish businessmen, including relatives of some cabinet ministers and government officials.

The group is involved in a wide range of activities, all serving the agenda of the Turkish president.

Most recently, the group launched a campaign in support of the killing of Syria’s Kurds at the hands of the Turkish army. The group also worked to improve the image of the Turkish president.

According to the British newspaper, Telegraph, Erdogan’s opponents continue to receive death threats.

The newspaper added that the Turkish regime had formed electronic militias that target the opposition.

A Turkish journalist, who was a member of these electronic militias, told the German channel Deutsche Welle that the members of the militias used to meet Erdogan regularly.

He added that the militia is bankrolled by a hospital owned by Erdogan’s doctor.

The German channel expected the activities of the militias to negatively affect confidence between the Turkish government and people.