“THE CENTURY OF TURK(IYE)”: A COMPARATIVE EXAMINATION OF EURASIANIST IDENTITY IN TURKISH MEDIA SPHERE AMIDST NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICTS
(2024) SIMZ41 20241Graduate School
- Abstract
- Eurasia represents a unique blend of European and Asian geographies, transcending geographical conceptualization to encompass cultural and ethnic elements embodying the ideology of Eurasianism. Initially developed by Russian philosophers for Russian politics, Eurasianism extends across Europe and Asia to varying degrees. In Türkiye, its engagement ranges from nationalist to Kemalist and even socialist, shifting over time. For instance, the geopolitical promises have shifted from “the 21st century will be the century of Turks” to “the 21st century will be the century of Türkiye.” These changes are particularly evident in times of crisis, such as in Nagorno-Karabakh, a region infused with ethnic and national values, where, due to the nature... (More)
- Eurasia represents a unique blend of European and Asian geographies, transcending geographical conceptualization to encompass cultural and ethnic elements embodying the ideology of Eurasianism. Initially developed by Russian philosophers for Russian politics, Eurasianism extends across Europe and Asia to varying degrees. In Türkiye, its engagement ranges from nationalist to Kemalist and even socialist, shifting over time. For instance, the geopolitical promises have shifted from “the 21st century will be the century of Turks” to “the 21st century will be the century of Türkiye.” These changes are particularly evident in times of crisis, such as in Nagorno-Karabakh, a region infused with ethnic and national values, where, due to the nature of their establishment after the USSR’s collapse, territorial integrity with ethnically labeled populations is crucial for the sovereign national existence of Azerbaijan and Armenia. This research undertakes a comparative examination of Eurasianist identity in Turkish media, focusing on its portrayal and evolution amidst the geopolitical upheavals of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflicts from the war in 2020 through Azerbaijan’s military operation in 2023. Employing a critical geopolitical framework and discourse analysis, the study scrutinizes selected Turkish media outlets to reveal how Eurasianism is not only represented but also instrumentalized to spur specific identity and values differently across two-time spans.
The research focuses on two state-backed media outlets (TRT Haber and Sputnik Türkiye) and a bilingual weekly of Armenians of Türkiye (Agos), providing a comprehensive view of how different media platforms contribute to the geopolitical imagination within Türkiye. Findings reveal a clear division among digital news media outlets, highlighting the relationship between media representation and political agendas. Using a post-structuralist perspective, it has been found how different media outlets use language and narratives that align with their political views on Eurasianist ideology. TRT Haber enhances Eurasianist nationalistic narratives to bolster regional power projection, while Sputnik Türkiye challenges Western hegemony and promotes multipolarity. Conversely, Agos introduces a humanitarian perspective as a counter-discourse to these dominant Eurasianist narratives. This thesis enhances our understanding of the current geopolitical landscape in Eurasia while underlining the critical role of media in shaping political realities in contemporary Türkiye. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9156774
- author
- Sivaslioglu, Firat Berk LU
- supervisor
-
- Pinar Dinc LU
- organization
- course
- SIMZ41 20241
- year
- 2024
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- Eurasianist Discourse, Popular Geopolitics in News Media, Identity Politics and Nationalism.
- language
- English
- id
- 9156774
- date added to LUP
- 2024-06-26 12:31:12
- date last changed
- 2024-06-26 12:31:12
@misc{9156774, abstract = {{Eurasia represents a unique blend of European and Asian geographies, transcending geographical conceptualization to encompass cultural and ethnic elements embodying the ideology of Eurasianism. Initially developed by Russian philosophers for Russian politics, Eurasianism extends across Europe and Asia to varying degrees. In Türkiye, its engagement ranges from nationalist to Kemalist and even socialist, shifting over time. For instance, the geopolitical promises have shifted from “the 21st century will be the century of Turks” to “the 21st century will be the century of Türkiye.” These changes are particularly evident in times of crisis, such as in Nagorno-Karabakh, a region infused with ethnic and national values, where, due to the nature of their establishment after the USSR’s collapse, territorial integrity with ethnically labeled populations is crucial for the sovereign national existence of Azerbaijan and Armenia. This research undertakes a comparative examination of Eurasianist identity in Turkish media, focusing on its portrayal and evolution amidst the geopolitical upheavals of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflicts from the war in 2020 through Azerbaijan’s military operation in 2023. Employing a critical geopolitical framework and discourse analysis, the study scrutinizes selected Turkish media outlets to reveal how Eurasianism is not only represented but also instrumentalized to spur specific identity and values differently across two-time spans. The research focuses on two state-backed media outlets (TRT Haber and Sputnik Türkiye) and a bilingual weekly of Armenians of Türkiye (Agos), providing a comprehensive view of how different media platforms contribute to the geopolitical imagination within Türkiye. Findings reveal a clear division among digital news media outlets, highlighting the relationship between media representation and political agendas. Using a post-structuralist perspective, it has been found how different media outlets use language and narratives that align with their political views on Eurasianist ideology. TRT Haber enhances Eurasianist nationalistic narratives to bolster regional power projection, while Sputnik Türkiye challenges Western hegemony and promotes multipolarity. Conversely, Agos introduces a humanitarian perspective as a counter-discourse to these dominant Eurasianist narratives. This thesis enhances our understanding of the current geopolitical landscape in Eurasia while underlining the critical role of media in shaping political realities in contemporary Türkiye.}}, author = {{Sivaslioglu, Firat Berk}}, language = {{eng}}, note = {{Student Paper}}, title = {{“THE CENTURY OF TURK(IYE)”: A COMPARATIVE EXAMINATION OF EURASIANIST IDENTITY IN TURKISH MEDIA SPHERE AMIDST NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICTS}}, year = {{2024}}, }