Just recently curtailed Internet freedom in Turkey Erdogan, now he makes his intelligence more: The head of government plans to significantly expand the rights for spies. Critical journalists threaten drastic prison.

The anger at the worsening of the Internet laws in Turkey is not yet subsided – as Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been going on the offensive again. The Turkish government plans to significantly expand the powers of the secret service. This goes to matching newspaper reports indicate a bill’s ruling AKP party.

According to the National Intelligence Agency (MIT) can also access data that is protected by bank secrecy. Journalists who publish confidential information MIT, in contrast, must reckon with up to twelve years in prison.

The bill also provides a legal basis for the negotiations of the secret with those classified as a terrorist organization Kurdish rebel group Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). MIT chief Hakan Fidan speaks for more than a year with the imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan on ways for the peaceful settlement of the Kurdish conflict lasting for 30 years.

The negotiations have calmed the situation in the Kurdish region, for several months, there are no clashes between the Turkish army and the PKK more.

New laws in Turkey Criticism: intelligence is above all

In the press critical of the government, the new bill was nevertheless received very negatively on Thursday. The newspaper “Taraf” criticized the law will allow the government to proceed with the help of MIT against their opponents. The secret service will set over all other state institutions. In addition, the judicial control of the MIT will loose.

On Wednesday, President Abdullah Gül had the new Internet law approved – and the hopes of journalists, opposition activists and disappointed. The plans provide that the Minister of Communications may decide without court order which content may no longer be accessible on the net. Pages can also be locked within hours.

Gul got the anger of the opponents of the bill to be felt immediately. They launched a campaign on Twitter using the hashtag # UnfollowAbdullahGül, more than 70,000 people cleared Gül from the list of those to whom they followed.