Turkey’s government has proposed a law aimed at preventing so-called “disinformation” from being spread in both the media and online, but experts fear the new bill could threaten free speech ahead of next year’s elections.
The draft bill (pdf) was prepared behind closed doors by the country’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) in May and has been sent to Parliament for approval. It is widely expected to be passed in the coming weeks.
Government officials have said the highly controversial bill is needed to combat fake news and disinformation.
However, one specific article of the bill, article 29, has drawn criticism from opposition parties and press groups who fear it may be used to enforce censorship and clamp down on independent journalism, noting that the Turkish government currently controls a majority of major news outlets in the country….