ANKARA (Middle East Eye) – Turkey’s parliament has approved a new media law that could see individuals sentenced to up to three years in prison for spreading “fake news” or “disinformation”.
Lawmakers from Erdogan’s ruling AK Party (AKP) and its nationalist ally MHP, which together hold a parliamentary majority with a combined 333 seats, approved the bill.
The legislation comprises 40 amendments that each required a separate vote. The law imposes a criminal penalty for those found guilty of spreading false or misleading information, and requires social networks and internet sites to hand over personal details of users suspected of “propagating misleading information”.
Anyone found guilty of spreading misleading information faces between one and three years in jail.
In recent years, Turkey’s government has tightened its grip on online content and digital platforms, while curbing advertisements and announcements in opposition-linked media outlets.
The new law cements the government’s grip on the media and independent speech eight months before elections that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan enters trailing in the polls.
The country’s law on insulting the president carries a jail sentence of between one and four years.