Social media platform Telegram has become a center for criminal activity in Türkiye. While ministry-level studies continue on “children at risk of crime,” new scandals continue to emerge on Telegram every day.
Telegram is used by approximately 10 million people in Türkiye. Although most citizens use the app to follow news and communicate with friends, certain publicly accessible groups openly conduct organized criminal activities.
Illegal content such as obscene material, animal abuse videos and critical documents like personal data are sold for money. Members of these groups also freely insult religious and national values, even daring to speak disrespectfully about Türkiye’s martyrs. Individuals carrying out these crimes rely on anonymous accounts to hide their identities and take advantage of Telegram’s policy of not sharing user data with other countries.
Speaking to Sabah Newspaper, technology expert Ufuk Karakullukcu emphasized that the problem has reached an advanced level and urgent action is needed. Karakullukcu stated, “Telegram has no office or representative in Türkiye. There is no channel to address or hold accountable.”
He also highlighted that accessing criminal groups on the app is extremely easy, which contributes to the increasing crime rate. “User IP addresses are not provided to Türkiye or other countries. There are ongoing investigations in Europe regarding this. As a result, crime can be committed freely. Access to criminal activity is very simple,” he said.
Karakullukcu added that enormous sums of money are circulated on the platform through Bitcoin. “Large files can be sent much more easily than on other platforms. This makes it possible to sell personal data, bank accounts, and other critical documents via Telegram."
"Since IP addresses cannot be traced and account activity cannot be monitored, criminals carry out these transactions freely. Children are often used in these operations, receiving only a small share while the perpetrators make the bulk of the money. Individuals whose card information is stolen and unknowingly involved in crimes also face serious consequences,” he said.
