In the indictment prepared by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, it was stated that journalist Can Ataklı "publicly disseminated information contrary to the truth regarding the country's internal and external security, public order, and general health, in a manner capable of disrupting public peace, with the intent to create anxiety, fear, or panic among the public."
The indictment emphasized that 'the intent in disinformation is directed at both deception and dissemination; that disinformation covers all types of information produced, presented, and disseminated as false, contrary to truth, and misleading with the intent to harm the public or gain an advantage; and that fake news refers to content that, even if not entirely false, is a mixture of truth and falsehood shared with the intent to cause harm.'
The indictment noted that Ataklı publicly disseminated misleading information on his social media account with the phrase "Bahçeli has been intubated," using definitive language despite there being no official statement regarding Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chairman Devlet Bahçeli.
UP TO 4.5 YEARS IN PRISON REQUESTED
A prison sentence of 1.5 to 4.5 years has been requested for journalist Can Ataklı for the crime of "Publicly Disseminating Misleading Information in a Qualified Manner."
News Source: 12punto
