Social Media Ban In Turkey: What Does It Mean? by Salih Sarıkaya

It’s beneficial to remember that the new head of the TİB, Ahmet Cemalettin Çelik, was an official at the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) before this job. And a new law, passed by Parliament, has granted immunity to TİB personnel. The TİB was also given the authority to block access to specific websites without the need for a court order. In that case, why are there all these assignments?

This is because government sees social media as an obstacle to “mass culture production” such that they haven’t got control over it. The term “culture industry” was coined by critical theorists Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer. They think the development and deployment of the culture industry is a tool of mass control and conditioning. “Mass culture” promotes a homogenous society, instead of encouraging freedom and individuality. In this atmosphere products of mass culture also portray ideologies to audiences. After some time people are unable to differentiate between the reality and the portrayed world. This mass production tricks the public with illusions. People begin to think in the way of what the media bombards them with. At this point, social media is inverting the plans of the government. Let’s have a short look how the government has taken the control over other media instruments:The Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) imposes severe punishments on anti-government channels. Recently “the RTÜK has given the harshest penalty in its history,” the Samanyolu Haber news director says. A member of RTÜK, Ali Öztunç, says “RTÜK serves as a stick for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) to pressure government-critical channels.” Also, the AK Party uses Turkey’s state-run broadcaster, the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT), as a propaganda organ for the party.

An obstacle to mass culture production in Turkey: social media

It’s obscured that some media groups have direct connections with the government in public procurements. And some others are silenced by tax audits. The Tax Inspection Board (VDK) conducted 52 percent more audits last year and these audits were mostly used as a political tool. And the other way to put pressure is to illegally abolish the entitlements as it was with gold mining company Koza Altın A.Ş. Koza, the owner of the Bugün daily and the Kanal Türk TV station, had its activities halted at one of the company’s five major gold mines. Meclis TV (Parliament TV), which broadcasts from Parliament, was also silenced on Mondays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. So people cannot see what’s going on there either.

It’s no wonder that the government can cheat the public with illusions so easily and wants to shut down the YouTube and other social media tools as much as possible. Even a Freedom House report listing Turkey in the category of “Not Free” countries for 2013 seems optimistic now. With all these government entrapments, people are unable to differentiate between reality and the portrayed world. If there isn’t any press freedom and correct exposition, how can we talk about a real democracy?