Whoever writes or speaks about the Turkish head of state Recep Tayyip Erdogan must weigh his words. Tens of thousands of people, including teenagers and foreigners, have been accused of insulting the president in Turkey in recent years and often sentenced to prison terms. Before Erdogan’s decisive election in June, Turkey further tightened its media law, and journalists and opposition members fear further repression.
“This disinformation law is another weapon in the government’s arsenal against us,” said Gokhan Bicici, editor-in-chief of Istanbul-based independent news portal dokuz8NEWS. “Persecutions, investigations and threats are already part of our daily lives.” Under the new media law passed by parliament in October, spreading “false information” is punishable by up to three years in prison. What exactly constitutes “fake news” remains open.
“This law will destroy the last trace of freedom of expression,” said Gökhan Durmus, the leader of Turkey’s journalists’ union. Turkey is already well behind the Reporters Without Borders press freedom ranking, ranking 149th out of 180 countries.
Law allows internet shutdown
Press lawyers warn that the authorities could also shut down the internet on the basis of the new law. After the deadly attack in Istanbul in mid-November, access to online networks was temporarily blocked. Most Turkish newspapers and TV stations are pro-government, but social networks and internet media reported independently – much to Erdogan’s dismay.
The elections in June, in which he will run for another term as president, will be the most difficult for him since he became prime minister in 2003. With an inflation rate of more than 80 percent, his conservative Islamist party, the AKP, is more unpopular than ever.
“It is therefore not surprising that the first person to be prosecuted under the new law is the leader of the main opposition party,” said lawyer Yaman Akdeniz. CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, likely Erdogan’s 2023 challenger, is being hounded over a tweet accusing the government of drug trafficking. According to Akdeniz, the law leaves the authorities “a lot of discretion” and thus opens the door to arbitrariness.
Erdogan defended the new law as “urgent” and accused the online networks of “fanning the fire of hatred without moral or ethical boundaries”.
Government wants control over social media
The government is preparing to take a far-reaching control of social media, says Emma Sinclair-Webb of human rights organization Human Rights Watch. “The law puts technology companies in a very difficult position: they have to comply and remove content or even give up user data, or face severe penalties,” she says.
Kurdish journalists and media are also targeted: “Many journalists who work for Kurdish media have been arrested since the summer,” says Fatma Demirelli of the organization P24, which advocates for press freedom. “We fear that the new law will make the situation even worse.”
At the end of October, nine journalists were arrested for alleged ties to organizations labeled as “terrorist”, such as the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). According to the Expression Interrupted platform, 76 journalists are now in prison in Turkey.
“Even the most independent journalists are now mainly concerned with being careful and trying not to become a target,” says editor-in-chief Bicici. “We have already been victims of violence, but I feel there will be more pressure,” agrees his colleague Fatos Erdogan. “I’m concerned for our safety.”
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
