On 27 May lawmakers from Turkey’s ruling coalition submitted a draft bill seeking to criminalise the spread of disinformation. The 40 articles of the “disinformation law” would place new restrictions on online news sites and social media platforms operating in the country. This represents an alarming move to tighten the regulation of cyberspace. The proposal includes prison sentences of up to three years for disseminating misleading information about “the internal and external security of the country, public order and public health”. Prison sentences can be increased by half if content is shared from an anonymous account.
The disinformation bill must be seen in the context of Turkey’s sharp authoritarian turn. Faced with an energised opposition, Erdoğan has already politicised the judiciary to target his opponents and amended the electoral law to disadvantage the opposition parties. The proposed legislation aims to bring online news sites and social media platforms under government control in the lead up to the 2023 elections. Although the parliamentary vote has been postponed until the next legislative session after disagreements within the ruling party, the threat to free speech remains.
Growing pressure on …read more
Source:: German Institute for International and Security Affairs
