Turkey now battleground for internet freedom

Turkey is now an international “battleground” for internet freedom, according to a report released today by the Washington-based democracy watchdog, Freedom House.  The report is published in advance of the UN Internet Governance Forum which begins in Istanbul next week. It is a timely warning that while a spate of legislation and measures designed to tighten Ankara’s control over the web may not be the subject of that gathering, Turkey’s own commitment to freedom of expression and individual’s right to privacy will come under inevitable close scrutiny. It concludes:
 
“Because of its position as an OECD and G-20 country, not to mention an EU candidate and a member of NATO, the example Turkey sets is one that other countries facing similar challenges from online speech will be watching. Right now, the contradiction between Turkey’s words at the UN and deeds at home only serves to reinforce the belief that international norms can be manipulated in order to curtail domestic freedoms when needed. “
 
The report, titled The Struggle for Turkey’s Internet, examines the online sphere from three perspectives: speech restrictions and data collection, infra­structure development, and the emergence of new media. It highlights the contradiction between a government whose instincts are to control the flow of information with one that relies on the vitality of its net community and on the flow of information for its economic future. To quote:
 
“National institutions, including the Constitutional Court and the constitution itself, are stronger in Turkey than in consolidated autocracies. Civil society is more diverse, vocal, and connected to transnational networks. The state is not yet dominated by an all-powerful executive. Just as important, Turkey cannot count on filling its budget with hydrocarbon revenues. Instead, the country’s economy is heavily reliant on Western investment and trade, especially its customs union with the EU… To the extent that Turkey’s European economic partners find the lack of telecommunications infrastructure development and censorship online problematic for their investments, Turkey will face pressure to improve its approach to the online sphere.”
 
Up until now the government has relied on “soft power” to maintain its hold over traditional news media.  It relies less on draconian legislation that the cozy relationships between media owners and the political authorities, according to the report. Yet that very relationship undermines media credibility. Individuals and particularly young people increasingly find out about the world from new or social media. Such new channels of information in many cases have no proprietor or operate according to an entirely different economic logic. The government is now voting itself the tools to restrict access to the web and impose restrictions on how it operates. This discredits less the credibility of the media than the government itself – reputational damage that the government may find it increasingly hard to sustain.
 
The Struggle for Turkey’s Internet is a special report prepared by Freedom House and can be found on-line.

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