The proposal was part of a larger “disinformation bill” that was approved by parliament on Thursday. It was introduced by the ruling AK Party and its nationalist allies MHP. Users who publish online content that provides “false information about the country’s security, public order, and general welfare in an attempt to cause panic or terror” are subject to a one- to three-year prison sentence.
In the lead-up to the elections scheduled for next year, media organisations and opposition parties have criticised the measure as censorship and saw it as an attempt to silence critics and journalists.
Vice President of the European Federation of Journalists Mustafa Kuleli remarked, “The offence is described using somewhat imprecise and open-ended language. “How prosecutors will pursue people who are accused of spreading misleading information is unclear.
Other sections of the legislation cover topics including revisions, the distribution of press credentials, and how “false information online” should be retracted.
