Turkey’s Interior Ministry has announced that it has hired 500 “white-hat” hackers to assist police in their duties in cyberspace.

The hackers will fight terror, organised crime, prostitution, online gambling and child abuse, pro-government newspaper Akşam said, adding that the ministry had increased its capacity for internet surveillance by tenfold since last year’s failed coup attempt.

Akşam said the ministry was increasing its cyber capabilities and range by opening up offices in 22 new provinces of Turkey in addition to the two already served.

This increase in capacity, it added, would also allow for closer supervision of those insulting state officials, the Turkish people or their religious values on social media and video sites.