Istanbul, October 29, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists urges members of Turkey’s parliament to vote against the foreign “influence agent law” when it comes up for a vote in the Grand National Assembly this week as expected.
“Unfortunately, Turkey seems to be following the regional trend of establishing a judicial tool for demonizing and censoring independent journalists and researchers who work with foreign partners or receive foreign funding,” said Özgür Öğret, CPJ’s Turkey representative. “Despite the reassurances offered by government officials, there are numerous examples of severe violations against the freedom of the media in neighboring countries that have passed similar laws in recent years present. Members of the Turkish Grand National Assembly should vote against this law in order to not tarnish the country’s already problematic press freedom record.”
The Turkish government first introduced the law in parliament in May but then shelved it until last week over intense criticism from the opposition parties and civil society. The proposed law introduces a new crime “against the security or political interests of the state” and carries a prison sentence of three to seven years for committing a crime “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.”
Turkey’s Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç said last week the law aims to combat actual espionage, and would not be used broadly to punish “anyone doing research in Turkey.”
Russia, Kyrgyzstan, and Georgia recently passed similar “foreign agent” laws, which have been used to silence critical outlets.