Despite reactions from the opposition and the majority of the public, the regulation on social media censorship has passed through the parliament and come into effect after being published on the Official Gazette. MetroPoll Research Company asked the public about the new social media law. Half of the respondents involved in the research has specified that they do not think this law is justified.
The latest survey related to the government’s regulation that censors social media was done by MetroPoll Research Company to light public opinion toward bans. According to the results, people who do not think bans should be implemented are approximately 10 percent more than the people who think restrictions should be imposed. 40 percent of people who responded to the survey do not think censorship is a step in the right direction. In MetroPoll Research Center’s survey: "The Pulse of Turkey, July 2020", the agency has asked “The government wants to pass a law which includes restrictions and closing of social media applications Twitter, Instagram, Facebook etc. and also imposing sanctions against their contents. What do you think about passing this kind of a law?” As 49.6 percent of people who responded the poll stated out that “they do not approve it”; 40.8 percent of respondents stated out that “they approve it.” Also 9.6 percent of respondents said that “they have no opinion.”
21% of AKP Voters Do Not Support
According to distribution of votes on July 24, 2018 at Member of Parliament election, 66.4 percent of people who voted for AKP have denoted that “they support this law”; on the other hand 21.4 percent of the AKP voters denoted that “they do not support the law”. 79 percent of main opposition CHP (Republican People’s Party) voters do not favor the law, 65.7 percent of HDP (People’s Democratic Party) voters do not the legislation. Similarly, the percentage of İYİ Parti (The Good Party) voters who do not agree with the law is 75.7. Finally, 41.4 percent of voters of government ally MHP (Nationalist Movement Party) do not side with the law while the party officially backed the law in parliament as part of the governing alliance. However, only 38.3 percent of the MHP voters sides with this legislation. Translated by Ebrar Başyiğit.
