Government spokesman explains how new disinformation law will be practiced

In an interview with a journalist Mahir Unal, spokesman for the government explained that a crime would be in question only if “all five of the five criteria existed”. He said, “There must be all five of the five conditions for the formation of the “crime of disinformation”. The economist who predicts the dollar and the scientist who makes earthquake predictions do not fall within the scope of this crime.” Unal shared further info explaining the purpose of the government was not to silence opponents while going to the elections.

The Anti-Disinformation Law was passed by the Parliament after high-pressure sessions. Then many questions were forwarded together with criticism regarding the issue. Down below are the questions forwarded and the answers:

– Is the duty of media members to report and the right of the public to receive news restricted?
– Is the purpose of the government to silence the opponents while going to the elections?
– Will the scientist who predicts earthquakes and the economist who predicts about the dollar be punished?
– Are WhatsApp groups dangerous anymore?
– Won’t opposition journalists be given press cards?

Mahir Ünal, Deputy Chairman of the AK Party Group, one of the names who prepared the law provided answers to these questions.

CENSORSHIP & FIGHTING DISINFORMATION

UNAL: “Show only one thing in the nature of censorship in this law.

UNAL: TCK 218 (law provision) is open. Statements of opinion that do not exceed the limits of reporting and are made for critical purposes do not constitute a crime. Fullstop.

UNAL: Disinformation alone is not an insult. Disinformation is not spreading an wrong information by itself. Disinformation is the job of spreading the sum of these in a coordinated way for a common purpose within a certain period of time.

‘THE CRIME WILL OCCUR IF THERE ARE ALL FIVE OF THE FIVE ELEMENTS. THREE OR TWO ISN’T ENOUGH’

– The judiciary will decide that an information or news is misleading. So what are the conditions sought?

MAHIR UNAL: The presence of exactly five substances, all five, will be sought for the formation of the crime. So;

1) The spreading news will not be real.
2) They will be unreal about the security and public health of the country.
3) They will target to create panic, fear and anxiety among the people.
4) They will be suitable to disturb the “peace of the public”.
5) They will be pulished/shared explicitly.

– I underline, the combination of five elements will be sought. If there are three of these five elements, it will not constitute a crime.

CLAIM: A RUSH OF INVESTIGATIONS WILL BEGIN

UNAL: The elements that are already criminalized in the TCK (Turkish Penal Code) are brought together here. There is one thing that all friends from the Ministry of Justice who attended the meetings said: ‘It is not easy for these five elements to come together, so it is difficult for the crime to come into being.

– For instance, a person who says that the dollar will be 40 liras, a scientist who shares earthquake forecasts, does not fall within the scope of this crime. When you read the law, you see this clearly.

Excerpted from interview by Hande FIRAT (of HURRIYET) and translated/edited by BTT
Oriiginal link: hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/mahir-unaldan-dezenformasyon-yanitlari-bes-kriterin-besi-de-varsa-suca-girer-42153622