Turkish government to impose media ban on retired soldiers

The Turkish government has submitted a bill to parliament to require military personnel who have left or retired from the armed forces to be authorized to make statements to the press.

Duvar English

The Turkish government has drafted a bill that bans all military personnel who have left or retired from the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) from appearing in media without authorization.

The Turkish government has submitted a draft law to parliament seeking amendments to the Turkish Armed Forces Personnel Law.

According to a report in the Turkish daily Türkiye, a draft law submitted to parliament proposes that former public officials of the Ministry of National Defence (MSB), whose positions have been terminated, will face imprisonment ranging from six months to three years if they do not abide the new rules.

This penalty applies if they make statements, write articles, or participate in interviews using their titles related to their former positions and duties without the ministry's permission.

According to the draft, it will be prohibited to publish the military identity of oneself or another military personnel, military information, documents, location information, or any of these, or audio-visual materials taken within the scope of their duties, through mass media, except in cases authorized by the National Defense Ministry.