06/10/2022 | Writer: Selma Koçak
KaosGL.org also participated in the meeting which was conducted upon the call of the Journalists’ Union of Turkey, against the ‘disinformation law’ which will be discussed at the parliament on October 4.
Photograph: Ceren İskit, Gazete Solfasol
Protests were held against the “disinformation law”, which was prepared by the Justice and Development Party (AKP) and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) upon the call of the Journalists’ Union of Turkey (TGS), in seven provinces. Journalists from KaosGL.org also took part in the protest organized in Ankara.
Gathering in front of the Assembly, journalists requested to make a press statement and submit a petition to the members of parliament to call them to withdraw the bill. However, the law enforcement officers didn’t permit to make the press statement.
Attending the press statement made by journalists, Republicans People’s Party (CHP) MP Süleyman Bülbül said: “Democracy is out of the question in a country where there isn’t freedom of the press.” And TGS Ankara Branch Chair Sibel Hürtaş told: “This censorship law is totally extraconstitutional. Please don’t play politics with freedom of the press to receive vote ahead of the elections.”
The petitions signed by journalists were given to the members of the parliament.
About the bill
The bill, whose full name is “Law Proposal to Amend the Bill on Regulation of Broadcasts on the Internet and Combating Crimes Committed Through These Broadcasts”, was prepared claiming “fight against disinformation”. Having been accepted at Justice Commission, it was added to the agenda of Grand National Assembly of Türkiye. Withdrawal of the bill was defended by professional organizations conducting protests and making press statements against it. Following the protests, discussion of the bill of law was postponed by political party groups in order to check over the bill.
Tags: media
