Proposed legislation in Turkey aims to incarcerate journalists who have ties to foreign entities.
A new bill has surfaced in Turkey, mirroring those in Russia and Georgia, that seeks to incarcerate journalists and scholars working for international interests. This bill, set to amend the Turkish Penal Code, mandates prison sentences ranging from three to seven years, as reported by AFP news agency. Reporters Without Borders, a journalists' group, criticized the proposal, stating it is another blow to Turkey's free speech and press freedom.
The proposed legislation targets individuals who carry out investigations against Turkish citizens or institutions on behalf of or in the interest of a foreign organization or state with the intention of harming Turkey's security or political, internal, or external interests.
The right-wing MHP party, closely allied with the AKP, the Islamist nationalist party led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan voiced support for the draft bill. The MHP stated the bill applied to areas including the economy, finance, army, culture, communications, transportation, and energy.
Emre Kongar, a journalist for the Turkish daily Cumhuriyet, referred to the bill as a "witch hunt" in his online statement at website X. Reporters Without Borders flagged the concerning fact that this draft law lacks safeguards to prevent misuse. Kongar cautioned journalists who work for media outlets funded overseas and face the threat of imprisonment.
Meanwhile, in Georgia, there have been mass protests for weeks due to the passage of a law by the Georgian parliament. This law categorizes non-governmental organizations funded by foreign entities as "foreign-influenced." Protesters draw parallels to Russia's tactics used by Putin to silence dissenting voices.
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- The draft law in Turkey, which mirrors similar legislation in Russia, raises concerns among journalists' groups like Reporters Without Borders, as it could potentially lead to the imprisonment of journalists working for international interests.
- Russia and Turkey seem to share a common tactic in silencing critical voices, as evidenced by the proposed legislation that targets journalists with ties to foreign entities in both countries.
- The proposed amendment to the Turkish Penal Code, similar to laws in Russia and Georgia, has received support from the MHP party, which could potentially impact the interests of Turkish journalists working for foreign-funded media outlets.
Source: www.ntv.de
