The concern of the Commission was expressed by its representative Peter Stano, hours after the Turkish National Assembly passed a law providing for up to three years in prison for “disinformation”. The law was passed by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). Tayyip Erdogan and its far-right allies, the Nationalist Action Party (NAP) of Devlet Bahceli, despite strong reactions from the opposition, the journalistic world and human rights organizations.

“We fear that this could further curtail freedoms, freedom of speech and independent media. Turkey and we are extremely concerned about the provision that provides for imprisonment for misrepresentation,” said Peter Stano, noting “vague language” as to what constitutes false or misleading information.

Whom does it concern?

The Commission expresses concern about the new law providing for imprisonment for up to three years for “disinformation”.

In its 40 articles, the so-called “Press Law” concerns not only newspapers, radio and TV stations, but also social networks and websites, which will henceforth be required to hand over the personal data of their users, who will be accused of spreading fake news. The most controversial element of the law is Article 29, which provides for imprisonment for a term of one to three years for “dissemination of false or misleading information that is contrary to the internal and external security of the country, may harm the health of the population, sow fear or panic among the population” . townspeople”.

“You already had an arsenal at your disposal that allowed you to stop the dissemination of any disturbing information, but it was not enough, you needed something more in the months before the elections,” complained Gulistan Kılıç Kojigit, left, from the floor of parliament, the pro-Kurdish HDP party. There is a general fear among opposition parties that Tayyip Erdogan, who is trailing in the polls, will step up authoritarian measures ahead of the crucial June 2023 elections.

After the failed coup against Erdogan in 2016, the regime in the Turkish media has deteriorated dramatically. According to the Turkish Union of Journalists, over the years, 189 uncontrolled media outlets have been closed and 319 journalists have been arrested, of whom 36 are still in prison. According to Reporters Without Borders, today 90% of the Turkish media are controlled by people closely associated with the authorities. A recent Reuters investigation revealed that the government is censoring the front pages of major newspapers and mainstream news reports.