In Turkey, “disinformation” can now lead to prison
Copies of the special opposition issue “Sozcu” at a kiosk in Istanbul, May 20, 2017. © Lefteris Pitarakis/AP
Text by: RFI Follow
3 mins
A law adopted this Thursday, October 13 by parliament, despite the efforts of the opposition to block the text, inscribes in the Turkish penal code a penalty punishing "disinformation".
Press freedom NGOs denounce a new instrument to muzzle the independent press eight months before elections which promise to be difficult for the Head of State, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
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Up to three years in prison: this is what any Internet user or journalist in Turkey now risks who has shared, on social networks or in an online article, information deemed "
contrary to the truth
".
Debated since the beginning of October, the 40 articles of the text officially baptized "law on the press", were the subject of numerous amendments tabled in vain by the opposition which denounces for its part a "
law of censorship
".
Article 29, in particular, provides for prison sentences of one to three years for "
spreading false or misleading information, contrary to the internal and external security of the country and likely to harm public health, disturb the public order, to spread fear or panic among the population
".
In addition to newspapers, radios, televisions, the law targets social networks and websites which will be asked to denounce and deliver the personal information of their users accused of spreading false news.
The opposition unsuccessfully tried to block this text tabled in May by AKP deputies - the Justice and Development Party of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who will run for a new term in June 2023. But with a majority of 334 seats out of 581 for the AKP and its allies in Parliament, the text had little chance of being approved.
In December 2021 the Head of State estimated that social networks, first perceived as a symbol of freedom, had "
become one of the main threats to democracy
".
The law further stipulates that the presidency will be responsible for preparing a “
Disinformation Bulletin every Monday (…) in order to inform the public about disinformation and false news
”.
The bill has aroused many concerns in journalistic circles and human rights organizations which had mobilized at the beginning of the month, masked in black in front of Parliament.
“Everyone will be affected by this law
”
“
The text is very vague: who will determine what is a lie or not?
, asks Faruk Eren, president of the Basın-İş journalists' union, joined by our correspondent in Istanbul,
Anne Andlauer
.
A justice which has proven, in numerous trials, that it was not independent!
When we publish information on Erdoğan or power, the latter will hasten to cry lies.
We will then find ourselves facing a tribunal which, in all likelihood, will take up the thesis of power and accuse us of "
disinformation". Because judges and prosecutors all know what the consequences of a different decision would be: they would find themselves transferred to lower courts. Just as the pressures on justice are a reality in this country, the objective of this text is to pressure – and even silence – online media that is not committed to power in the run-up to the election.
”
A dozen associations and unions of journalists, including Reporters Without Borders (RSF) had denounced the text as an attempt at censorship on the part of the government.
"
Turkey is entering difficult times: everyone will be affected by this law
", tweeted Thursday evening the lawyer and co-director of an association for the defense of the press (MLSA), Veysel Ok, himself sued several times. in the past, listing “
the opposition, NGOs, associations of lawyers, journalists and ordinary citizens…
”
According to RSF's ranking, Turkey will rank 149th out of 180 countries in 2022 for freedom of information.
Before the law passed, the Council of Europe had denounced an “
obstructing
” of the freedom of expression guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights.
At the beginning of October, he was worried about "
the potential consequences
" of the text, in particular a risk of "
reinforcement of self-censorship
" in view of the next elections.
(With AFP)
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