The IPI Turkish National Committee will be hosting the webinar “Digital Censorship: Can social media be prohibited?” to mark Turkey’s Press Day, July 24, which marks the abolition of official censorship in 1908 during the late Ottoman Empire.

On Friday, July 24, journalists and IPI National Committee members Banu Güven and Emre Kızılkaya and academic and cyber-rights expert Yaman Akdeniz will talk about the most recent discussions around a proposed new social media regulation that would dramatically expand government control over free expression on social media and online platforms.

The webinar is the third in a new webinar series launched by IPI’s Turkey National Committee. It will take place on July 24 at 14.00 (CET), with the discussion guided by Güven. All three panellists will evaluate the current state of press freedom online and the importance of the internet and social media in today’s journalism in Turkey.

The IPI National Committee’s first webinar took place on May 3, World Press Freedom Day, with prominent journalists Kadri Gürsel, Nevşin Mengü and Ruşen Çakır. You can watch the webinar here.

Later, two online panels were held together with PEN International and Turkey-based Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA) on June 21 as part of a joint campaign to mark Kurdish journalist Nedim Türfent’s 1500th day in prison. See the English and Turkish panels here.

The webinar will be held in Turkish.

Speakers include:
Banu Güven, Anchorwoman, journalist for DW Turkish
Emre Kızılkaya, Vice-chair of IPI Turkey National Committee; Project editor, Journo.com.tr
Yaman Akdeniz
, Academic and cyber-rights expert

Funded by the European Union