Reporters Without Borders (RSF) criticised the new social media law and reported that at least 347 internet news articles have been subjected to censorship in Turkey in the last 3 months.
Social media law was enacted on October 1 with the opening of the National Assembly, and the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) criticised the new law, stating that at least 347 internet news articles have been censored in Turkey in the last 3 months.
RSF expressed concern in a statement regarding the social media law, with all its articles coming into force as of October 1. The RSF statement specified that it will be more difficult to do critical journalism under the new legislation, stating that “new legislation gives the government much more control over social media platforms" and that RSF is "concerned about use of the Internet to censor outspoken journalists in Turkey".
JOURNALISTS FACE THE JUDICIAL THREAT
RSF states that in Turkey over the last 3 months 347 internet news articles have been censored, and that all social media platforms including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube will be effected by the new law.
“These new provisions give the Turkish government a great deal of control over social media and, if platforms comply with demands from the authorities, many online journalists could be under direct judicial threat,” RSF Turkey representative Erol Önderoğlu said.
“As all forms of online dissent have already been subjected to systematic and arbitrary interventions, an unprecedented level of censorship on platforms should be expected from today onwards.”
CENSORSHIP IS ON THE RISE
RSF pointed out the rise in the number of news censorship in recent years, and stated that three sites are completely inaccessible, and that OdaTV Editor-in-Chief Barış Pehlivan and News Director Barış Terkoğlu "were jailed for naming a Turkish intelligence officer who had been killed in Libya".
PROF. AKDENİZ: THEY BECOME PART OF THE OPPRESIVE ORDER
Prof. Yaman Akdeniz made a statement on Twitter regarding the new Social Media Law, stating that he has not made an official statement from platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Google and TikTok until today, and that “If this silence continues, they will be warned first by BTK (Turkish information and communication technologies authority) in October. If they fail to comply with this warning, they will face an administrative fine of 10m TL in November. Subsequently, an additional 30m TL will be fined in December".
Akdeniz warned that if the platforms come to Turkey "they can become part of the current oppressive order". "For example, Berat Albayrak (Minister of Finance and Treasury) will be able to apply directly to Twitter and Facebook to remove the articles about him on social media without applying to the criminal court. Critical content can be removed without a judicial decision and without anyone hearing" warned Akdeniz.
Akdeniz underlined that under these conditions it is very difficult for Twitter and even Facebook to come to Turkey, that "even more accurate to say I would be very surprised if they come. In an environment where the judiciary is not independent and there is no fair trial, they can only become a part of this system".
Press in Arrest announced its press freedom report for September. The freedom of press and expression of journalists, and therefore of society, is violated almost every day; violations take place in police or prosecutor interrogation rooms, prisons, courthouse corridors and courtrooms.
Six journalists are tried in one day, or one journalist has appeared before a judge three times… Journalists defences are forced to be done through screens and cameras (SEGBİS) from the prison where they are tried as prisoners, against the court boards that change in almost every hearing in some cases.
According to the report, in September:
Journalists were tried in cases demanding heavy life sentences 7 times with a minimum prison sentence of 376 years 11 months to 970 years and 10 months.
In the compensation lawsuits filed against 3 journalists, the plaintiffs demanded a total of 340 thousand TL for non-pecuniary damages from the journalists.
6 journalists were tried in different cases at once.
Of the 38 cases where journalists were tried, 21 were heard in the high criminal court, 13 in the criminal court of first instance, and 3 in the civil court of first instance. (EVRENSEL DAILY)
Yusuf Karadaş