ABSTRACT
This chapter analyzes the privatization of governance as one of the realigned strategies of information control in the digital era in the case of Turkey, as the political and economic elites adjust to incorporate digital technologies into the task of perpetuating power relations. It addresses the prevalent 'digital democracy' discourse and then analyzes the political economy of the Turkish media and the relationship between the government and media companies. The ruling political, bureaucratic, and economic elite establish a relationship similar to their relationship with mainstream media and outsource censorship and surveillance to private information intermediaries using legal cases, access restrictions, and flak. As part of the strategy to control the flow of information, the government's efforts to privatize governance, surveil, and organize state-sponsored information campaigns intensified after the Gezi Park uprising in 2013. The 'digital democracy' discourse defines democratization and empowerment as inherent within the new communication and information technologies.
