The founding statute of Turkish press law is Press Law No. 5187 of 9/6/2004. Its scope was widened in 2022: internet news sites and the press card are now inside that Law.
The Identity of the Law
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Law number | 5187 |
| Date of adoption | 9/6/2004 |
| Official Gazette | 26/6/2004 - No. 25504 |
| Düstur | Series 5, Volume 43 |
| What it repealed | Press Law No. 5680 of 15/7/1950 (Art. 30) |
| Major amendments | No. 6352 (2012) and No. 7418 (2022) |
Purpose - Art. 1
(Amended paragraph: 13/10/2022-7418/1) - The purpose of this Law is to determine the procedures and principles relating to press freedom and its exercise and to the press card. This Law covers the printing and publication of printed works and internet news sites.
(Added paragraph: 13/10/2022-7418/1) - As regards the issue of a press card, media members and information officers requesting a press card are included within the scope of this Law.
Three Fields of Scope
| Field | Content | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Printed works | Printing and publication | Art. 1/1 |
| Internet news sites | As periodicals - from 2022 | Arts. 1/1, 2/m |
| The press card | Media members and information officers | Art. 1/2, additional Arts. 1-8 |
Outside the Scope
The Constitutional Basis
| Article of the Constitution | Its counterpart in the Law |
|---|---|
| Art. 28 - The press is free and may not be censored | Art. 3 - The press is free |
| Art. 29 - A periodical may not be made subject to prior permission | Art. 7 - A declaration is sufficient |
| Art. 29/3 - The principles of the journalism profession are regulated by law | Law No. 5953 |
| Art. 30 - The protection of press equipment | Art. 22 - The offence of obstruction and destruction |
| Art. 32 - The right of correction and reply | Art. 14 - Correction and reply |
We cover the detail in the constitutional guide.
The Structure of the Law
| Section | Articles | Subject |
|---|---|---|
| General provisions | Arts. 1-3 | Purpose, definitions, press freedom |
| Starting a publication | Arts. 4-10 | The imprint, the responsible editor, the owner, the declaration, delivery |
| Liability | Arts. 11-13 | Criminal liability, the source of news, civil liability |
| The right of reply | Art. 14 | Correction and reply |
| Penalties | Arts. 15-24 | The imprint, suspension, delivery, reply, incitement, identity, obstruction, distribution, republication |
| Procedure | Arts. 25-29 | Seizure, the periods for actions, the competent court, the prohibition of conversion, notification |
| The press card | Additional Arts. 1-8 | Added in 2022 |
| Provisional | Provisional Arts. 1-4 | Compliance periods |
Summary
The purpose of Press Law No. 5187 is to determine the procedures and principles relating to press freedom and its exercise and to the press card. The Law covers the printing and publication of printed works and internet news sites; as regards the press card, media members and information officers are within the scope. Internet news sites and the press card were brought within the scope by Law No. 7418 of 13/10/2022.