The government justifies the proposal by saying that Turkey’s residents need to be protected from spreading false news that could cause public fear. The proposal is expected to be approved by Parliament soon.
But critics do not believe that the real purpose of the government is to combat misinformation.
– We see that freedom of expression is affected in countries that have similar legislation with imprisonment as a result. However, it does not reduce the spread of fake news, says Can Semercioglu from the organization Teyit, which has worked with fact-checking.
Previous prosecutions and discussions
Russia, Thailand and Kenya are countries that have introduced similar legislation.
Thousands of social media users in Turkey have been charged with insulting the president and spreading terrorist propaganda. It is common for shares on platforms such as Twitter or Facebook to be used as evidence in trials.
– The Turkish government’s track record does not inspire confidence in the issue, says Baris Altintas.
The bill began to be discussed a year ago when the Turkish government was outraged by the dissemination of critical information on the management of extensive forest fires. A topic that has become relevant again when forest fires are once again raging in the province of Mugla.
“Education more effectively”
At the same time, the Turkish press authority has warned of the spread that information about the fires that do not come from official sources could lead to prosecution. Similar warnings have been issued on data on high inflation.
Ironically, the problem of online misinformation is described as serious. It was manifested during the pandemic when vaccine campaigns had a major impact. But the fact-checkers at the Teyit organization believe that completely different methods than prison sentences are needed to deal with it.
– Education and information on source review is a more effective way to combat disinformation problems, says Can Semircioglu.