"Spreading Fake News Punishable by 3 Years Imprisonment"…Controversy Over Media Control by Turkish President Erdogan

Criticism Arises Over Plans to Tighten Control Ahead of Next Year's Election Amid Approval Rating Crisis
"Protecting Freedom of Expression" Protests Persist... Ruling Party Expected to Pass with Majority Seats

Recep Tayyip Erdo?an, President of T?rkiye (formerly Turkey) (Belgrade EPA=Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Yunjin Kim] The Turkish (formerly Turkey) parliament has embarked on pushing the so-called 'False Information Regulation Law,' which imposes a maximum prison sentence of three years on media outlets that spread false information. While opposition parties and press organizations strongly oppose the move, fearing increased repression of the media, the government and ruling party remain steadfast, insisting it is not censorship.

According to Reuters and Euronews, on the 4th (local time), the Turkish parliament began discussions on the False Information Regulation Law. The bill was submitted to parliament on May 27 by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) coalition but faced strong public backlash, leading to a postponement of discussions. After a three-month recess starting in July, the Turkish parliament reconvened on the 1st of this month to resume legislative deliberations.

The most controversial part of the bill is the provision that imposes up to three years imprisonment for spreading false information through the media and social networking services (SNS). Article 29 of the bill stipulates, "Anyone who publicly disseminates false information concerning national security, public order, or public health with the intent to cause anxiety or fear shall be subject to imprisonment from one to three years," thereby establishing a new criminal offense for spreading false information under the penal code. Additionally, all penalties related to posting and disseminating false information are set to be increased by 50%, signaling strengthened media control.

The opposition, media, and civil society groups worry that if the bill passes, media repression and censorship will accelerate. Since the presidency of Recep Tayyip Erdo?an, media control in Turkey has intensified. In the 2022 World Press Freedom Index released by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Turkey ranked 149th out of 180 countries. Reuters interviewed current and former Turkish journalists and reported that most major media outlets have been acquired by pro-government media groups, and "newspapers and broadcasters that still survive and criticize the government face the whip of media control."

Foreign media analyze that President Erdo?an and the ruling party aim to further expand media censorship ahead of next year's presidential and general elections. Turkey is experiencing severe economic difficulties, with inflation reaching 84% last month due to Erdo?an's aggressive interest rate cuts since last year. As the support rate for the president and ruling party coalition plummets, they are focusing on nationalist foreign policies and media control to boost their approval ratings.

On the 4th (local time), Turkish journalists gathered in front of the parliament in Ankara, holding placards such as "Freedom of the press is a condition of democracy," strongly protesting the passage of the bill. Kemal Aktas, chairman of the Turkish Parliamentary Press Corps, warned Euronews, "If the bill is implemented as is, the country will lose freedom of the press, expression, and communication." Article 19, an international human rights organization defending freedom of expression, condemned the bill, stating, "False information is an important issue to fight against, but it cannot come at the cost of freedom of expression for the media and the public."

However, since the ruling coalition holds a majority of seats in parliament, the False Information Regulation Law is widely expected to pass as is. Euronews reported that the bill has already passed two standing committees. Hussein Yaiman, AKP member and chairman of the parliamentary Digital Media Committee, stated, "AKP is a party that fights against censorship and bans. We are creating regulations against false information, but banning and restricting SNS is not under discussion."