Turkish opposition politicians and activists have made great use of the internet to circumvent state control of the mainstream media. They are alarmed by government plans to crack down even more on online platforms.
In the almost 20 years that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been in power he has succeeded in bringing newspapers and television stations largely under his government's control. In reaction, opposition politicians, activists and critics have resorted to the social networks to create an alternative media landscape and public realm.
Activists use Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and other such platforms to draw attention to problems, opposition politicians use them to mobilize their supporters and smaller, alternative media outlets use them to disseminate their content.
But Erdogan and his government are now tightening their grip on the internet. Though they have clamped down heavily on social media in recent years, the next blow will be even harsher.
'Fake news, disinformation, provocation'
The government, along with the Turkish presidential communications directorate and the media regulator RTÜK, is planning a social media directorate to combat "fake news, disinformation, provocation and lynch justice in the social networks." Violations will be punishable by fines and detention. According to government sources, the law proposal is currently being drafted.
"There have been complaints from all sections of society," Naci Bostanci, Group Deputy Chairperson of...
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