The Grand National Assembly of Türkiye (TBMM) General Assembly late Tuesday approved the first two articles of the proposal to amend the Press Law and some laws, also known as the "anti-disinformation regulation."

According to the accepted articles, internet news sites and issues related to press cards will be included in the scope of the Press Law, and public personnel working in the information services of radio, television, public institutions and organizations will be considered like periodicals employees in terms of issuing press cards.

Determining the procedures and principles regarding the press card will be added to the objectives of the Press Law. Media members and information officers who request a press card with the offer will be included in the scope of the law.

Internet news sites will also be included in the definition of periodicals. The proposal also defines "web news site," "Head of Communications," "Communication Department," "Press Card Commission," "media member," and "information officer."

The talks on the rest of the proposal will continue on Wednesday.

Turkish lawmakers began debating on Tuesday the media bill, proposed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and its ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), that some opposition and media rights groups oppose.

The government says the law will tackle "disinformation" in the press and social media. The bill is likely to be approved in Parliament, where the AK Party and the MHP have a majority.

A key concern among critics of the bill is an article saying those who spread false information about national security to create fear and disturb public order will face a prison sentence of one to three years.

Hüseyin Yayman, an AK Party lawmaker who chairs the Parliamentary Digital Media Commission, dismissed the critics' concerns, saying the aim is to protect everyone from false accusations on social media.

"We are making a regulation on disinformation. Blocking or restriction of social media is out of the question. The AK Party is a party that fights against censorship and bans," he said.

Addressing concerns that the regulation was a means of silencing the opposition ahead of the 2023 elections, Yayman said the criticism was both "false and meaningless."

The AK Party and the MHP first sent the draft law to Parliament in May, but the debate was postponed for further consultation.