Erdoğan vows tougher stance on social media disinformation

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has condemned social media platforms and labelled digital disinformation a direct threat to national security, pledging that his administration will step up state measures to combat online falsehoods.

Speaking at a communication summit in Ankara in remarks published Wednesday by the Hürriyet Daily News, Erdogan warned that systemic misinformation weakens public trust and imperils institutional governance.

“Today, disinformation has become... an asymmetrical element that weakens the sense of unity and trust in societies and threatens democracies. We will continue our fight against disinformation with this understanding, resolutely, in line with the vital importance of the issue,” Erdoğan said.

The Turkish leader launched a broader critique against algorithm-driven social media platforms, accusing global tech companies of manipulating public discourse and distorting cultural identity.

“Social media platforms, in particular, significantly determine how much attention we pay to a particular topic, how we approach issues, and often what kind of reactions we receive,” Erdoğan said.

“Furthermore, they distort not only the present but also the past, constructing an imaginary history, a lifeless, soulless and shallow identity,” he added. “The concept that suffers the most in this process is, undoubtedly, truth.”

Turkey has progressively tightened regulatory oversight on social media companies and digital media outlets in recent years, enforcing strict local content moderation standards and introducing legal penalties for spreading false information online.

By Tamilla Hasanova