Turkiye's ‘disinformation Bill threatens freedom of speech,' Europe watchdog says

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan presents statements after the Cabinet meeting in Ankara, Turkiye on October 10, 2022. [Murat Kula – Anadolu Agency]

Turkiye’s proposed “disinformation” Bill threatens freedom of speech and could further harm journalism ahead of next year’s elections, a European rights watchdog’s legal body said, calling for Turkiye’s Parliament to reject it, Reuters reports.

According to the report, the watchdog, Venice Commission, said prison sentences and other fallout from the draft legislation could lead to “arbitrary restrictions of freedom of expression”.

“The Commission is particularly concerned with the potential consequences of such provision, namely, the chilling effect and increased self-censorship, not least in view of the upcoming elections in June 2023,” it said late on Friday.

It said the Bill “constitutes an interference with the freedom of expression” protected by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

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