Conflict zones like the Turkey-Syria border are hotspots for fake news and misinformation. But among the photos and videos uploaded to social media are clues that can be used to sort the truth from the spin.
One very popular example, largely among pro-Turkish users, is #TurkeyJustKilledTerrorists, the implication being that Turkey's offensive is only targeting Kurdish militant groups like the YPG and PKK, not the Kurdish people more broadly.
"We have thousands of Kurdish citizens in our army. We are not fighting Kurds, we are fighting terrorists. Dear non-Turkish citizens of the world, please don't believe in the false media, we're just fighting the terrorist who attacked our border."Some of the accounts boosting these messages have large personal followings. One user, @fontainedepaix, races from 5,700 followers to 14,000 followers in less than two weeks.
Several accounts have links in their descriptions that lead right back to websites offering to sell followers and retweets, promising customers they can"get viral". She says it is not possible to say definitively if the Turkish Government is involved at this stage, but she would be"very surprised" if it was not.
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