Türkiye wants to adopt a law similar to Russia's

Turkey intends to introduce a law against foreign influence. Civil society fears that it could be used to suppress dissent, Bloomberg writes, citing the bill.

The country's parliament intends to discuss the bill in the coming days. The document concerns those who work against state security or its internal or external political interests under the influence or on the orders of a foreign country or organization. According to the publication, the punishment for this could be up to seven years in prison.

The move is part of a broader package proposed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Justice and Development Party, and is reminiscent of the laws on foreign agents adopted in Georgia and Russia. In both countries, this mechanism is considered a means of suppressing domestic criticism.

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Turkish legal experts and journalists have expressed concern about the law, saying Turkey's political interests could change and authorities could use the vagueness in the room to stifle any criticism of the government.

The main opposition Republican People's Party says the bill is the basis for a “much more repressive environment.”

“This is a very serious authoritarian law. The definition of the crime through vague expressions paves the way for the punishment of all opponents,” said the representative of the political force Inan Akgün Alp.

As the publication points out, Erdogan and his government have restricted freedom of speech in recent years with the help of various laws, and thousands have faced detention or trials on charges of impersonating the president since he took office ten years ago.

Prepared by: Nina Petrovich