The Rise of Social Media: A Game-Changer in Turkish Politics

The role of social media in shaping political debates and public opinions is not new. In Turkey, where the majority of mainstream media is aligned with the government, social media is emerging as a game-changer in the run-up to the May 14 parliamentary and presidential elections. However, the viciousness of the political campaign and the government’s increasing efforts to monopolize and control cyberspace risks muddying an already fraught political scene, with potentially serious implications for human rights and the integrity of the election.

Turkey’s election is taking place in a deeply polarized and repressive political climate, with the government cracking down on opposition voices in the media, academia and civil society. Over the past month, state broadcaster TRT devoted 32 hours of coverage to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s speeches, but just 32 minutes to those of his main rival, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, leaving social media to fill the gap in providing alternative views.

At the same time, social media platforms have become a battleground for the government and opposition parties to air their views and engage with voters, with Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and others becoming key sites of political struggle. Social media also offers an important platform for independent news websites and live streaming platforms to reach the public, who can make up their own minds based on alternative views and fact-checking.

However, social media is also a site of vicious campaigning and fake news. In the past week, an anonymous Twitter account circulated threats of a fake “sex tape” aimed at discrediting presidential candidate Muharrem İnce, contributing to his withdrawal from the race. The account was exposed by an independent researcher and eventually suspended, but the incident highlights the threat that social media poses when used to spread fake news, slander and manipulation.

Ironically, Turkey’s government, which has long sought to curtail freedom of expression online and offline, is now turning to social media to sway public opinion in its favor. The government uses an arsenal of powers to control the internet and restrict freedom of expression online, including arbitrary removals of critical content and extended powers to throttle platforms that don’t comply with take-down demands.

As election night draws near, social media platforms and the wider internet must remain accessible for the public to follow the work of independent election monitors and reporting around the vote count. Given the sorry state of mainstream media in Turkey, the integrity of Turkey’s election depends upon it.

The role of social media in shaping political debates and public opinions in Turkey also highlights the importance of human rights principles and responsibilities of social media companies, including content moderation and account authenticity. Platforms should ensure they are devoting adequate resources to meet their human rights responsibilities, especially during elections. They should also be transparent in their approach to content moderation and account authenticity to avoid being used to spread fake news, political propaganda and hate speech.

Turkey’s election is a crucial moment in its democratic history, where the resilience of its democratic institutions and the human rights of its citizens are at stake. Social media can play a positive role in empowering voters and promoting human rights, but only if platforms, governments and citizens uphold human rights standards and responsibilities.

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