The IPI Turkish National Committee hosted the English-language webinar “Digital Censorship: Turkey’s New Social Media Law and Its Implications for Free Media” following the passage of Turkey’s controversial new social media regulations in July which dramatically expands government control over free expression on social media and online platforms.
The webinar is the fourth in a new webinar series launched by IPI’s Turkey National Committee.
An initial Turkish-language webinar on the social media law was held to mark Turkey’s Press Day on July 24, which marks the abolition of official censorship in 1908 during the late Ottoman Empire.
The IPI National Committee’s first webinar took place on May 3, World Press Freedom Day, with prominent journalists Kadri Gürsel, Nevşin Mengü and Ruşen Çakır. You can watch the webinar here.
Later, two online panels were held together with PEN International and Turkey-based Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA) on June 21 as part of a joint campaign to mark Kurdish journalist Nedim Türfent’s 1500th day in prison. See the English and Turkish panels here.
The third and latest webinar on July 24, was broadcasted live. You can watch here.
Speakers included:
- Banu Güven, Anchorwoman, journalist for DW Turkish
- Sergey Lagodinsky, MEP(Greens/EFA), Chair of the Delegation to the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee
- Emre Kızılkaya, Vice-chair of IPI Turkey National Committee; Project editor, Journo.com.tr
- Yaman Akdeniz, Academic and cyber-rights expert
- Scott Griffen, IPI Deputy Director
Funded by the European Union
