Ninety percent of mainstream media outlets in Turkey are under government control. Yet, they are no more effective to have a control over the public opinion.
Turkey’s announcement that it will soon “regulate” foreign-funded media outlets and require them to submit a detailed report on their activities every six months has set off a fierce debate, with critics saying it’s a further attempt by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) to eviscerate what remains of the free press.
The timing of the decision has raised further speculation that Erdogan, whose poll numbers are wilting mainly because of rising inflation and joblessness, may be clearing the path for early elections ahead of their scheduled date in 2023.
Over 90% of the Turkish media is controlled by businessmen with close ties to Erdogan. In exchange for coverage provided by an army of sycophantic print and television journalists, their companies, many of them in the construction sector, receive lucrative government contracts.
But several studies suggest that a growing number of Turks are turning to independent digital outlets for their news. This, in turn, may explain why the government feels compelled to tighten the noose.
This year, the Paris-based group "Reporters Without Borders" ranked Turkey 143 out of 180 countries in terms of media freedoms.
The group’s Turkey representative Erol Onderoglu says foreign funding plays a key role for independent media because fear of government retribution deters many Turkish citizens and companies from giving financial support.
Turkish officials have also announced they are considering new legislation to punish disseminating so-called fake news on social media.
Turkey is scheduled to hold both presidential and parliamentary polls in 2023, although some observers see the increasing pressure on independent media as a sign that there could be early elections.
But the government insists any new measures are aimed at only protecting the integrity of the media and will conform to international norms.
Turkey is routinely listed as one of the worst offenders of press freedom, with dozens of journalists languishing in jail on thinly supported terror charges.
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