Turkish lawmakers are set to introduce a “foreign influence” law that could see violators imprisoned for up to seven years, Bloomberg has reported, citing a draft seen by the outlet.
The US has had a foreign agents law (FARA) since the 1930s. Russia passed one in 2012. Former Soviet republics Kyrgyzstan and Georgia have passed their own versions in recent years, which Western-funded NGOs and opposition parties have denounced as “Russian.”
“This is a very serious authoritarian law,” Inan Akgun Alp, an MP from the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) told Bloomberg, calling its definitions “vague” and arguing it could usher in a “much more repressive environment.”
Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc has said that the law is intended to punish espionage, and would not be used to go after journalists or “anyone doing research in Türkiye.”
According to Bloomberg and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the bill would criminalize activities “against the security or internal or external political interests of the state, in line with the strategic interests or instructions of a foreign state or organization,” with punishments ranging from three to seven years behind bars.
Journalists and advocates have expressed concern that the ambiguous language of the law could allow President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his AK Party to criminalize any criticism of their policies.
“The vaguely worded bill could turn everyday journalistic and civil advocacy activities into punishable crimes,” said Mustafa Kuleli, vice president of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), describing the proposed law as “an alarming threat to freedom of expression and civil society.”
The Turkish government first introduced the foreign agents law in May, but lawmakers backed off due to fierce criticism from the opposition and nongovernmental organizations.
Ozgur Ogret, CPJ’s representative for Türkiye, called the bill a “judicial tool for demonizing and censoring independent journalists and researchers who work with foreign partners or receive foreign funding.”
Ogret called on lawmakers to vote against the bill, “in order to not tarnish the country’s already problematic press freedom record.”
A law against “disinformation” enacted two years ago has made spreading false information about the country’s security, public order or general welfare punishable with up to three years in prison. The opposition has claimed that the “censorship bill” gives authorities the power to imprison anyone who challenges the official narrative.
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