Turkish President: Disinformation on social media threatens social peace, security of that particular region
According to Anadolu News Agency reports, Turkish president states that the social media platforms had seriously attacked the democracy, social peace and national security of states.
“Just as we do not entirely rely on foreigners in defence industry and military matters, we cannot leave the communication issue to others,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a video message to the Turkic Council Media Forum held in Istanbul.
The lives of millions of innocent people around the world are darkened by false and distorted news by causing serious drama and trauma. Communications Director Fahrettin Altun also said that “Turkey sees the fight against the lie industry and disinformation as an integral part of its national security and takes all its steps with this perspective”.
Few months back, Turkish govt had made rigorous efforts for a new social media regulation, in light of online manipulations and disinformation about recent incidents such as forest fires and tensions between locals and Syrian migrants in the capital Ankara’s Altındağ district.
Over the past few decades, the evolution of technology and social media has subsequently transformed the Middle East. The democratic activists in the region were the first that opted social media platforms to spread their agenda. They used social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram to downgrade their adversaries’ reputation and create their good public image in front of audience.
For instance, Turkey help Qatar in reversing QNA hack and detain five suspects believing to be UAE was behind the hacking planted a false story that was used as a pretext for the crisis between Qatar and four Arab countries.
Later, Qatar also launched campaigns against UAE and Saudi Arabia on cases involving the International Football Federation Association (FIFA) and the attack of pro-Emirati journalist and lobbyists such as Ghanem Nuseibeh’s Cornerstone Global with the help of Italian consultant-journalist Paolo Fusi.
In starting of the year, UAE signed contracts worth millions of dollars with Pluteos AG, a Swiss Corporate Intelligence Firm long active in the country — to lead influence campaigns in Europe against Qatar.
Iran was accused of interfering in Scottish Parliamentary election, spreading misinformation online. It had been meant to assist the pro-independence parties and destabilise the UK.
All this above incidents indicates how these disinformation campaigns ran with a political agenda in mind generated support for their region by targeting their mindset and by making them believe what they are saying are truths.
