The bill currently being debated in the Turkish parliament, which proposes an amendment on espionage, has raised serious concerns among rights groups and journalists. The NGO Human Rights Watch (HRW) issued a statement on Saturday, November 2, calling for the rejection of the bill, which it said “expands the definition of espionage so vaguely that it could criminalize the legitimate activities of human rights defenders, journalists, and other civil society actors.” Hugh Williamson, HRW representative, warned that the amendment risks transforming civilian actors into “spies or enemies of the state,” giving the government greater power to target dissenting voices.
The bill, which was recently approved by a parliamentary committee, is to be examined in the coming days by parliament. It proposes an amendment to the Turkish penal code to include sentences of three to seven years in prison for “any person accused of threatening the security of the state or its political interests, both national and international, according to the interests of a state or a foreign organization.” In the event of armed conflict or circumstances compromising military security, the sentence could be up to twelve years.
The text, dubbed “agents of influence legislation” by Turkish media, was shelved last June, but is now back in a climate of heightened tension. Many journalists’ unions and rights organizations are now calling for its withdrawal, stressing the risks of repressive excesses.
Similar measures in Europe: the fight against foreign influence in question
Turkey is not the only nation considering laws that would tighten controls on foreign ties. In May, Georgia passed similar legislation, requiring NGOs and media outlets that receive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad to register with the State Public Registry Agency. The move prompted U.S. sanctions against some Georgian citizens, who were accused of undermining fundamental freedoms, including freedom of expression. The move also jeopardized Georgia’s European Union accession process, EU Ambassador to Georgia Pavel Gerchinsky said.
In France, a law aimed at strengthening the criminal system against foreign interference was enacted last July. Inspired by the American law on the registration of foreign agents (FARA), this measure imposes similar obligations on actors benefiting from foreign funding.
As debates over foreign influence grow in Europe, Turkey’s espionage project, with its potential consequences for civil liberties, embodies a growing international trend toward regulating domestic organizations’ relationships with foreign entities.
