The Turkish government is stepping up efforts to control social media and online content, particularly targeting Kurdish media and corruption reporting, Veyser Ok, co-director of the Turkish Media Law Research Association (MLSA), said on Saturday. warned in an interview with ANF. Ok said the government has recognized the power of the internet since 2012 and has repeatedly amended internet laws to stifle dissent.
“This is the result of a trend that started around 2012 and the Gezi* protests,” Oku said. He explained that both the government and the opposition recognize that the internet has replaced mainstream media and is now primarily serving the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). “The AKP understands the power of the internet and has amended the Internet Law multiple times from 2012 to 2023 to control this power,” he added.
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Oku stressed that government control over mainstream media, 93% of which is currently under government influence, has led independent journalists to focus on digital platforms. “As internet media began to set the agenda, governments responded by repeatedly amending laws to seize control,” he said.
Censorship specifically targets Kurdish media, and Ok explained that this is directly related to the state’s authoritarian approach to the Kurdish issue. “The first target is always the Kurdish media and Kurdish social media users. The state does not want any narrative other than the official ideology regarding the Kurdish issue,” he said. Oku predicted that the crackdown on Kurdish media will intensify over time.
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Mr. Ok highlighted the far-reaching impact of these internet restrictions, noting that articles on important topics such as corruption, human rights abuses and Syria policy are blocked in the name of protecting individual rights. “Corruption reporting is being censored using laws intended to protect individual rights. This is a clear misuse of these legal provisions,” he warned.
Oku predicts that the internet will become a major battleground for governments to control information in the coming years, and urges journalists to prepare for further restrictions. “We and the country are aware of this, which is why the government is looking for ways to control it,” he concluded.
* The Gezi protests are a wave of demonstrations and social unrest across Turkey that began on May 28, 2013, initially to challenge urban development plans for Gezi Park in Istanbul.
