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((PLAYBOOK SLUG: TURKEY SOCIAL MEDIA
HEADLINE: Erdogan Seeks to Tighten Grip on Social Media Ahead of Polls
TEASER: Protests grow over jail sentences under proposed Turkish social media law for disinformation offenses.
PUBLISHED AT: Monday 8/1/2022 at 2:15pm
BYLINE: Dorian Jones
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: Istanbul
VIDEOGRAPHER: Berke Bas DO NOT USE OR SECURITY REASONS, Umut Colak, AGENCY.
PRODUCER:
SCRIPT EDITORS: LR, Bowman SR
VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA Original, AFP, REUTERS
PLATFORMS: WEB __ TV _X_ RADIO __
TRT: 3:06
VID APPROVED BY: MAS
TYPE: TVPKG
UPDATE: DO NOT USE FOR SECURITY REASONS BERKE BAS NAME))
((INTRO))
[[Social media users in Turkey could face up to three years in jail for postings that authorities consider to be disinformation under proposed legislation. The move has prompted protests, with critics accusing the government of seeking to silence the last platforms that Turkish citizens have for venting their grievances. Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul.]]
((NARRATOR))
Journalists protest proposed social media legislation they say threatens to criminalize independent reporting.
Bianet is one of Turkey's oldest independent news websites. Here there is alarm over the new legislation, especially the proposed new crime of publishing fake news or disinformation as defined by the Turkish authorities.
[[RADIO VERSION: Hikmet Adal is a social media journalist at Bianet.]]
((Hikmet Adal, Bianet - MALE IN TURKISH)) ((VOA ORIGINAL))
“I can go to prison just for reporting news if this new law passes in parliament. I can be sentenced to one to three years in prison. This will cause fear in journalists and can cause them to apply more self-censorship in their reporting.”
((NARRATOR))
With mainstream media mainly under government control, a large and vibrant independent media has developed on the Internet, to the point that its ratings match those of traditional mainstream media. Some see the proposed social media law as a government reaction to that success.
[[RADIO VERSION: Fusun Nebil is a technology consultant in Istanbul.]]
((Fusun Nebil, Technology Consultant ((Female in Turkish))
((Mandatory cg: Skype))
“They are using this in order to block everything. What I mean by everything, anything that is oppositional. The law aims to silence any oppositional voice. This is why they are trying to introduce this "Disinformation Law"
((NARRATOR))
In the proposed legislation, anyone posting or reposting what is defined by authorities as disinformation faces up to three years in prison.
Social media platforms like YouTube and Twitter, which have offices in Turkey, under the proposed law will be obliged to reveal the identities of anyone who is under investigation.
The proposed legislation comes as presidential elections loom next June. The Turkish government says legislation controlling social media is no different from laws already in place in Europe that seeks to protect the public rather than censoring dissent.
But rights groups dismiss any comparison to Europe’s laws.
[[RADIO VERSION: Yaman Akdeniz is with the Freedom of Expression Association, a group of expert lawyers, academics, and human right activists.]]
((Yaman Akdeniz, Freedom of Expression Association – MALE IN ENGLISH - VOA ORIGINAL))
“I believe you cannot compare Turkey to Germany or France, or any of the European countries. What Turkey does resembles more of what Russia does, to be honest. If you look at the Ministry of Interior Statistics, over five to 6,000 people every year are investigated due to their social media activity.”
((NARRATOR))
Turkey is already among the world's biggest jailers of journalists, according to rights groups.
But at Bianet, the fear is the threat of jail will also have a chilling effect on its readers.
[[RADIO VERSION: The platform’s Hikmet Adal. ]]
((Hikmet Adal, Bianet - MALE IN TURKISH – VOA ORIGINAL))
“With this law, the government is trying to prevent people's response to the news. The readers won't be able to share this news on social media, won't be even able to share it on their WhatsApp groups.”
((NARRATOR))
The government portrays the new law as part of an international trend to curtail abuses on social media. But critics say it's a desperate attempt to silence opposition ahead of elections that surveys suggest the government will lose.
((Dorian Jones, for VOA News, Istanbul))
NewsML Media TopicsSociety, Science and Technology, Human Interest
NetworkVOA
Embargo DateAugust 1, 2022 14:36 EDT
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
