Turkey: Online workshop on digital rights and elections

Call for applications

ARTICLE 19 is pleased to announce that we will be holding an online workshop on digital rights and elections for civil society in Turkey. The workshop will take place on Thursday 4 May, between 12:00 – 18:00 Turkey time (GMT+3) on Zoom. It will be delivered in English with simultaneous interpretation to Turkish.

Following the broad crackdown on media in Turkey in recent years, social media has become one of the last arenas where people can access independent news and express themselves. Online censorship and throttling of social media during sensitive periods remain a common practice in the country. In the run up to the highly contested 14 May elections, any remaining spaces for freedom of expression in Turkey face serious threats.

As the room for expression is closing rapidly, effective strategies to counter attacks against online speech are becoming more important than ever. This online workshop will bring together human rights experts to discuss, among other topics, different forms of digital threats against free speech, including internet shutdowns and content moderation during election periods, as well as political speech online. Participants will be provided with practical guidelines on how to counter threats against online speech. At the end of this workshop, participants will be familiarised with the international legal framework on digital technologies and freedom of expression, and how to conduct effective advocacy to uphold the right to freedom of expression online.

ARTICLE 19 invites applications from members of civil society in Turkey to attend the following sessions:*

Session 1: Introduction (12:00 – 12:25 Turkey time)
Session 2: Applying international human rights law to internet shutdowns (12:30 – 14:00 Turkey time)
Session 3: Elections and freedom of expression in the digital space (14:30 – 16:00 Turkey time)
Session 4: Content moderation, microtargeting, political advertising (16:30 – 17:30 Turkey time)
Closing remarks (17:30 – 17:40 Turkey time)

Please submit your application to join the workshop by filling in the application form.

Please note that spaces will be limited. Only selected candidates will be notified of the outcome. If you have any queries please contact ARTICLE 19 (in English or Turkish) at: [email protected].

*The details and session times of the preliminary agenda are subject to change.

GDPR clause

In order to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (Regulation (EU) 2016/679) and the Turkish Law on the Protection of Personal Data (Law No. 6698 Kişisel Verilerin Korunması Kanunu) the personal data provided will be used exclusively by ARTICLE19 in order to fulfil its legal obligations under European and Turkish law with regards to project administration and accountable public spending. By signing this form, participants confirm their participation in this event, agree to provide all necessary data (including age, gender, profession and personal email address) and consent to the use of this data exclusively for the aforementioned purpose. The participant can at any time notify ARTICLE 19 to request access to and rectification or erasure of personal data or restriction of the processing of said data by contacting [email protected].