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TÜRKIYE LOCAL ELECTIONS: WHAT’S NEXT FOR EXPRESSION AND PRESS FREEDOM?

ON 31 MARCH, PEOPLE ACROSS TÜRKIYE VOTED IN LOCAL ELECTIONS, RESULTING IN
SWEEPING WINS FOR THE REPUBLICAN PEOPLE'S PARTY (CHP) – INCLUDING IN
ANKARA (THE CAPITAL) AND ISTANBUL (THE COUNTRY’S BIGGEST CITY).

The results of the elections were surprising: although President Erdoğan
remains in office, the CHP is celebrating huge wins over his AK Party
(AKP), and will now run 36 of the country’s 81 provinces. This was the
worst loss for the AKP in 2 decades, and sent a clear message that
reverberated around the world:

THE PEOPLE WANT CHANGE.

Ahead of the elections, ARTICLE 19, Human Rights Watch, and 20 partner
rights groups and journalists’ organisations presented the government and
social media platforms with a list of recommendations, and we were hopeful
that, to a degree, they were being considered.

Yet the run-up to the elections was plagued with disinformation, online
censorship, and a clear bias against opposition parties in the mainstream
media. None of this took place in a vacuum: it was the latest manifestation
of years of restrictions, suppression, and censorship. In February 2023,
for example, the authorities’ throttling of the internet [3] prevented
people caught up in the devastating earthquakes from accessing vital
information, including about emergency services, or finding out if their
loved ones were safe. Shortly before the 2023 election, Turkish authorities
threatened to censor online platforms that failed to comply with their
demands to remove content. Looking further back, the government also
introduced internet restrictions in 2020 [4] and 2022 [5].

While these problems are clear barriers to people’s enjoyment of free
expression in Türkiye, observers also praised [6] these elections’
competitive nature and high voter turnout – in stark contrast to what we
have seen elsewhere this Super Election Year. In Senegal [7], for example,
the President unconstitutionally postponed the elections for 10 months and
the authorities brutally quashed the protests that subsequently erupted. A
new date was eventually set, but the President’s irresponsible actions,
the violence, and the undermining of democracy continue to resonate.
Meanwhile, in Russia’s [8] sham presidential elections, all the relevant
opposition figures were either jailed, in exile, or denied registration.

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Following their surprise victory, the CHP is now preparing to help shape a
new political landscape: voters have expressed hope that the leader will
usher in unity [10] and tackle polarisation, and local politicians promised
a change in the political climate [11] during their election campaigns. At
this crucial moment, ARTICLE 19 urges the party to do all it can locally to
address the rising censorship that Erdoğan and his AKP have presided over.

ARTICLE 19 has documented in depth the judicial harassment of numerous
journalists, including the recent case against Furkan Karabay [12], charged
with terrorism offences, and cases against Istanbul journalists [13] Ayça
Söylemez, Can Ataklı, Görkem Kınacı, and Kürşat Yılmaz. We have
repeatedly highlighted the authorities’ increasing targeting of
journalists with laws that violate international standards on freedom of
expression.

We urge the CHP to speak out about these cases and call for charges to be
dropped, for those imprisoned to be released, and for an end to the
judicial harassment of journalists, in line with the government’s
commitment to international standards on freedom of expression.

In addition, we urge the CHP to use this opportunity to compel President
Erdoğan to protect freedom of expression online. This means making bold
decisions, including:

* Reviewing and reforming internet legislation to ensure it complies with
international human rights law.

* Promoting freedom of expression online and enabling social media
companies to host diverse opinions and voices on their platforms,
especially opinions of a political nature, in line with the human rights
obligations that both governments and companies must honour. Legal and
extra-legal means should never be used to pressure platforms to censor
content.

* Being transparent when engaging with social media companies, and with
the public, when requesting content to be removed.

* Committing to principles of legality, legitimacy, necessity, and
proportionality when considering any actions against online platforms.

* Keeping people online and connected at all times, and supporting their
right to access information.

While President Erdoğan still commands overall power, his stinging defeat
in these local elections may signal a fresh opportunity to halt the
crackdown on free expression online and to allow accurate information to
circulate freely.

THE PEOPLE OF TÜRKIYE HAVE SPOKEN.

IT’S TIME FOR THEIR LEADERS TO LISTEN.

RAISE YOUR VOICE TO SUPPORT FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION IN TÜRKIYE. SHARE
OUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE GOVERNMENT AND ALL POLITICAL PARTIES TO PROTECT
FREE EXPRESSION ONLINE.

RAISE YOUR VOICE TODAY [14]

Copyright © 2024 ARTICLE 19, All rights reserved.

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