Disinformation on social media threatens democracy: Erdoğan

ISTANBUL

Uncontrolled social media platforms have come to the point of threatening social peace and national security of states, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Oct. 22.

“Social media platforms, where there is no control or self-control, have become a threat to democracy, the social peace and national security of states today,” he said in a video message to the Turkic Council Media Forum.

“We cannot trust the conscience and professional ethics of those who constantly teach us human rights, democracy and freedom lessons from an orientalist perspective,” he said.

He stated that millions of “defenseless” people around the world are depressed due to false and distorted news, suffering serious trauma.

“Just as we do not entirely rely on foreigners in the defense industry and military matters, we cannot leave the communication issue to others,” Erdoğan stated.

Like other strategic issues, they must take matters regarding media and communication into their hands, the president said.

He urged the Turkic world and relevant countries to take initiative in this regard, share experience, join forces, and seek ways to make the most effective use of the opportunities.

Erdoğan stressed that no country or society – whether it is developed or not – is free from the “devastating effect of digital fascism.”

He expressed hope for the three-day media forum, hosted by Turkey’s Directorate of Communications, to be instrumental in strengthening solidarity among countries.

Erdoğan said the Turkic world also suffers from the “double standards” of the international media.

“Especially the hypocritical attitude we witnessed during the [second] Karabakh war, which lasted for 44 days, revealed the importance of the issue for our countries,” he said.

“The massacre and ballistic missile attacks of the Armenian army targeting civilians [in Azerbaijan] were never brought up in that period. Talking about media independence and objectivity, international media outlets acted as the official news agency of Armenia,” he criticized.

He underlined that the last Karabakh war is “neither the first nor the last example of a press embargo” against the facts about the countries of the Turkic world.