Turkish Presidency refutes court’s website shut down rumors

The Presidency’s Communications Directorate’s Disinformation Response Center (DMM) issued a statement addressing false claims circulating on social media alleging that the Constitutional Court’s (AYM) website was intentionally shut down.

• DMM’s clarification: “The claim that the Constitutional Court’s website has been blocked is not true. The website’s inaccessibility was due to increased traffic following the publication of the AYM’s decision on case number 2020/88 in the Official Gazette,” the statement said.
• Misrepresentation: The DMM noted that some media outlets attempted to link the website’s temporary unavailability to a court decision, calling it “manipulation.” The statement added, “Some media organizations have tried to associate this issue with the Constitutional Court’s decision to create a misleading narrative.”
• Warning against false information: “Do not believe baseless claims,” the DMM warned, urging the public to disregard the misinformation spreading online.

In addition, the DMM addressed another rumor that claimed the AYM had nullified the Directorate’s authority over press and freedom of expression and that this decision would halt the operations of the DMM.

• DMM’s mandate: “The Disinformation Response Center’s authority derives from Article 3 of the Presidential Decree on the Organization of the Communications Directorate. The Constitutional Court’s decision has no impact on our operations,” the statement clarified.
• Addressing legal interpretations: The statement further explained, “The Constitutional Court ruled that certain provisions should be regulated by law rather than by Presidential Decree, but this does not affect the ongoing work of the Disinformation Response Center.”