Turkish Journalists: Govt’s ‘Censorship’ Law Puts Media Freedom on Hold

Turkish journalists’ unions said that press freedom has been suspended by the government’s newly-adopted disinformation law, which will increase its control over media and social networks before important elections in 2023.

A protester near the Turkish embassy in Berlin in May 2017. Photo: EPA/CLEMENS BILAN

The Journalists’ Union of Turkey, TGS said on Friday that freedom of press was suspended when Turkish government’s controversial disinformation law was adopted by parliament on Thursday night.

“Despite all objections, freedom of the press and freedom of expression was shelved by a ‘fait accompli’ law,” the TGS said in a written statement.

The disinformation law for the first time defines “spreading misinformation on purpose” as a crime.

The opposition, rights groups and journalists say it will only increase the control of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government over media and social networks.

The law introduces penalties with vague definitions for anyone who “publicly disseminates false information regarding internal and external security, public order and the general welfare of the country, in a way that breaches the public peace, simply for the purpose of creating anxiety, fear or panic among the population”.

“While the elections are approaching, the government enacted a censorship law blocking journalists’ reports on its activities, which is not good for the public interest and people’s access to news,” Turkish Journalists’ Association, TGC said.

It added that the government controls 90 per cent of the media but “until today it has not stopped journalists from doing their jobs”.

However, the TGS said it remains hopeful.

“As the TGS, we declare that we will not bow down to censorship, and that we will continue to do our best to have this law repealed, even though it has been enacted,” it vowed.

In insisted that Turkish journalists will continue to write, speak and convey the truth to the society.

Both of Turkey’s two largest journalists’ unions underlined that the new law will also cut newspapers’ revenues from public sector advertising.

“Printed newspapers’ share of public sector ad distribution has been reduced,” the TGS said in its statement.

“This will result in the closure of many local newspapers and the unemployment of hundreds of journalists,” the TGC warned.

An international delegation including Amnesty International, International Press Institute, the Committee to Protect Journalist and European Centre for Press and Media Freedom visited Turkey the day after the government’s disinformation law was adopted.

“The pressure on the press in Turkey has been continuing for many years. This law can be seen [as a tool] to put the already existing pressure on a legal basis,” Ruhat Sena Aksener, Campaigns and Advocacy Director at Amnesty International, told a joint press conference on Friday.

Under the law, people who spread misinformation can be jailed for up to three years. If a court rules that a person has spread misinformation as part of an illegal organisation, the jail sentence increases by 50 per cent.

Journalists can also be charged under the new law if they use anonymous sources to hide the identity of a person spreading “misinformation”.

The law, which comes ahead of important elections next year, was hastily brought to the Turkish parliament and adopted with the votes of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party, AKP and its ally, the far-right Nationalist Movement Party, MHP, who hold a majority.