The Social Media Legislation that has now been enacted into law at the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye (TBMM) is a censorship law and we say no to it.

In our country, each year, lawsuits are filed against thousands of people under pretexts of crimes
committed such as ‘insulting the president’, ‘insulting a public servant’ or ‘instigating acts of hatred
and ill will’.

The situation has come to a point where artists, journalists and students, who wouldn’t be jailed
even if found guilty are being held during their period of inquest. People who would come to the
courthouse on their own if summoned are taken into custody with early morning house raids and
presented to the press as guilty which disregards their presumption of innocence from the start.
Public opposition faces a new negative claim each day and it is suppressed and muted by an adverse
criminal law.

Today it’s impossible to have a peaceful meeting or walk. Even when no permit is required, when
people come together to peacefully express their opinions, their event is defined as ‘impermissible’
and it is right away banned. The latest example of this to serve as a warning to all is the
disproportionate brutality by the police with the use of their batons against the women walking in
solidarity for Iranian women.

Social media is not a limitless freedom environment. Crimes committed over social media
are penalized based on law. The new law, however, will expand and make more abstract the
definitions of accepted criminal acts more and thereby bring about an environment where everyone and
anyone can be incriminated of anything.

Freedom of press and expression are safeguarded by articles 25, 26, 28, and 29 of the
Constitution and article 10 of the European Human Rights Agreement. Everybody has the right to
obtain news and information and to express their opinions, come together and discuss as long as no
one else’s rights are obstructed.

We know that we must accept as a society to defend enlightenment, egalitarianism, secularism, and
the rule of law to be able to live in a country of free thought. The Association for Supporting
Contemporary Life has been working for 33 years to attain a contemporary society. We will continue
our work.