Turkey: a law against disinformation denounced as an instrument of censorship

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (illustrative image).

© AP

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

In Turkey, a bill on Internet media and social networks currently being debated in Parliament provides for the criminalization of online “ 

”.

NGOs defending freedom of the press, some of which demonstrated on Tuesday October 4 in front of Parliament, see it as a new instrument of censorship eight months before the elections. 

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With our correspondent in Istanbul,

Up to three years in prison.

If the bill is adopted, this is what any Internet user or journalist in

will now risk who has shared, on social networks or in an online article, information deemed "

" by a court.

This text – and more specifically its article 29 which concentrates the criticisms – officially aims to fight against disinformation on the internet.

Turkish authorities argue that it is inspired by new European Union legislation on digital services.

But in this country where freedom of the press and the independence of the judiciary are inexorably declining, the proposed law is worrying.

Journalists' unions accuse the authorities of wanting to use justice to muzzle the independent or opposition press online eight months before the presidential and legislative elections.

The opposition tried in vain to block the text.

But with a comfortable majority in parliament for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's AKP and its ally, the ultranationalist MHP party, the law is likely to be passed in the coming days.

► To listen: Turkey: concern over the increase in attacks on journalists

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