The Turkish government has already controlled most Turkish newspapers and television channels since the 2016 coup attempt. Online media remained largely free, although the government later ordered Facebook and Twitter to appoint local representatives. They are responsible for removing objectionable content as quickly as possible following court orders.
In May, the draft of the so-called “disinformation law” was introduced by MPs from Erdogan’s AKP.
Massive criticism against “censorship law”
Social media and journalists should be regulated more strictly. The law allows courts to sentence both accredited journalists and users of online networks to one to three years in prison if they are found guilty of spreading false news.
Critics and the opposition speak of a “censorship law”; on the one hand it is formulated too vaguely, but on the other hand they see freedom of the press and freedom of expression threatened. They therefore protested against these plans in front of the parliament in Ankara. But without success.
Law was passed
Despite massive criticism, the Turkish parliament has now passed the “Disinformation Law”. The majority of MPs voted for the law. The argument here was that disinformation would develop into a “serious threat” to access to “true information”. In order to protect fundamental rights and freedoms, it is necessary to combat this “threat”.
The law can force website or platform operators to publish information about users who are suspected of “spreading misleading information”.
Article 29 of this legislative package provides for prison sentences of between one and three years for “disseminating false or misleading information about the country’s internal and external security”. This also applies to messages “that could harm public health, disrupt public order and spread fear or panic among the population”.
Critics warn of increasing censorship on the Internet. The Council of Europe has also criticized the definition of “disinformation” in the law as being too imprecise. Experts fear that the vaguely worded law will further intensify the systematic crackdown on voices critical of the government, especially in the run-up to the parliamentary elections scheduled for 2023.
Turkey is currently ranked 149th out of 180 in the press freedom ranking
Source:
Tagesschau , Die Zeit
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