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Turkish Media Framings of the NATO-Led Intervention in Libya

Year 2013, Volume: 5 Issue: 1, 117 - 138, 01.07.2013

Abstract

There is a general consensus among the scholars that foreign policy making in Turkey is traditionally an elite-driven process, which is largely immune to public opinion influences. In this context, the role of Turkish media in foreign policy processes conforms to the elitist model, which restricts it to transmitting information from political elites to the masses, rather than to the pluralist model, which cites a wide-array of media impact on the processes of foreign policy. This study questions the validity of such contentions by analyzing the arguments of foreign policy columnists in a remarkable case; Libya in 2011. Turkish foreign policy dramatically shifted during the 2011 crisis in Libya, particularly on the question of military intervention against Qaddafi forces. The AKP Justice and Development Party government first resolutely opposed to the NATO-led military intervention in Libya, but a short while after stepped back. Such dramatic change presents an opportunity to analyze whether the media maintains an independent position from the government, which is necessary but not sufficient condition for media impact on decision-makers. In this context, the article presents a content analysis of selected foreign policy columns within the Turkish media regarding the AKP government’s Libya policy before and after the NATO intervention in 2011. The article aims to contribute to our understanding of the nature of media’s role in Turkish foreign policy and addresses the following question: Is the effect of media limited to transmitting information from policy-makers to the masses, or is it an active effort to influence foreign policy decision-makers?

References

  • Altunışık, Meliha B. and Lenore G. Martin, “Making Sense of Turkish Foreign Policy in the Middle East under AKP”, Turkish Studies, Vol. 12, No. 4, December 2011,pp. 569-587.
  • Bağış, Egemen, “A Leader of an EU Country Tries to begin a Process that is against International Laws”, 22 March 2011, http:// www.aa.com.tr/en/news/30711--a-leader-of-an-eu-countrytries-to-begin-a-process-that-is-against-internatinal-laws--bagis.
  • Benitez, Jorge, “Turkey rules out NATO intervention in Libya”, 28 February 2011, http://www.acus.org/natosource/turkeyrules-out-nato-intervention-libya.
  • European Commission, Turkey Progress Report, 10.10.2012
  • Gilboa, Eytan, “Diplomacy in the Media Age: Three Models of Uses and Effects”, Diplomacy & Statecraft, Vol. 12, No. 2, 2007,pp. 1-28.
  • ___________, “The CNN Effects: The Search for a Communication Theory of International Relations”, Political Communication, Vol. 22, No. 1, 2005, pp. 27-44.
  • Hafdell, Sofia, “Turkey-NATO Relations at the 60th Anniversary”, Global Political Trends Center, Policy Update No:2, March 2012.
  • Kahraman, Sevilay, “Turkey and the European Union in the Middle East: Reconciling or Competing with Each Other?”,Turkish Studies, Vol. 12, No. 4, December 2011,pp. 699-716.
  • Kinzer, Stephen, “Tirade by Qaddafi Stuns Turkey’s Premier” New York Times 09 October 1996 http://www.n.ytimes. com/1996/10/09/world/tirade-by-qaddafi-stuns-turkey-s-premier.html.
  • Kirişçi, Kemal , “The Transformation of Turkish Foreign Policy: The Rise of the Trading State”, New Perspectives on Turkey, Vol. 40, 2009, pp: 29-57.
  • Koloğlu, Orhan, 500 Years in Turkish-Libyan Relations, Ankara: Center for Strategic Research, 2007.

Türkiye’de, NATO’nun Libya’ya Müdahalesinin Medyada İşlenişi

Year 2013, Volume: 5 Issue: 1, 117 - 138, 01.07.2013

Abstract

Akademik çevrelerde, Türkiye’de dış politika yapımının geleneksel olarak kamuoyu etkilerinden geniş ölçüde muaf seçkin-merkezli bir süreç olduğuna dair bir fikir birliği mevcuttur. Bu bağlamda, Türkiye’de medyanın dış politika süreçlerinde oynadığı rol, medyanın çeşitli etkileri olduğunu ifade eden çoğulcu modelden ziyade, bu rolü, siyasi seçkinlerden kitlelere bilgi aktarımına sınırlayan seçkinci modele uymaktadır. Bu çalışma, dış politika yazarlarının dikkat çekici bir vaka olan 2011 Libya krizi konusundaki savlarını inceleyerek sözkonusu kanaatin geçerliliğini sorgulamaktadır. Türk dış politikası Libya’daki 2011 krizi esnasında, özellikle Qaddafi güçlerine karşı NATO müdahalesinde yeralma konusunda kendisiyle çelişen bir görünüm arz etmekteydi. AKP Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi hükumeti, NATO’nun Libya’ya askeri müdahalesine önce kararlı bir şekilde karşı çıkıp kısa bir süre sonraysa geri adım attı. Bu keskin değişim, medyanın dış politika konusunda hükumetten bağımsız bir pozisyona sahip olup olmadığı konusunu inceleme fırsatı sunmaktadır. Bağımsız pozisyon medyanın karar-alıcıları etkileyebilmesi için gerekli ancak yeterli olmayan bir koşuldur. Bu bağlamda, makale NATO’nun 2011 müdahalesi öncesi ve sonrasında yayınlanan ve AKP hükumetinin Libya politikasını konu edinen dış politika köşeyazılarının içerik analizini sunmaktadır. Makale medyanın Türk dış politikasındaki rolünün doğasını anlama çabalarına katkıda bulunmayı amaçlamaktadır ve şu soruya yanıt aramaktadır: Medyanın etkisi politika-yapıcılardan kitlelere bilgi aktarımı ile mi sınırlıdır, yoksa dış politika karar alıcılarını etkileme yönünde etkin bir çaba mıdır?

References

  • Altunışık, Meliha B. and Lenore G. Martin, “Making Sense of Turkish Foreign Policy in the Middle East under AKP”, Turkish Studies, Vol. 12, No. 4, December 2011,pp. 569-587.
  • Bağış, Egemen, “A Leader of an EU Country Tries to begin a Process that is against International Laws”, 22 March 2011, http:// www.aa.com.tr/en/news/30711--a-leader-of-an-eu-countrytries-to-begin-a-process-that-is-against-internatinal-laws--bagis.
  • Benitez, Jorge, “Turkey rules out NATO intervention in Libya”, 28 February 2011, http://www.acus.org/natosource/turkeyrules-out-nato-intervention-libya.
  • European Commission, Turkey Progress Report, 10.10.2012
  • Gilboa, Eytan, “Diplomacy in the Media Age: Three Models of Uses and Effects”, Diplomacy & Statecraft, Vol. 12, No. 2, 2007,pp. 1-28.
  • ___________, “The CNN Effects: The Search for a Communication Theory of International Relations”, Political Communication, Vol. 22, No. 1, 2005, pp. 27-44.
  • Hafdell, Sofia, “Turkey-NATO Relations at the 60th Anniversary”, Global Political Trends Center, Policy Update No:2, March 2012.
  • Kahraman, Sevilay, “Turkey and the European Union in the Middle East: Reconciling or Competing with Each Other?”,Turkish Studies, Vol. 12, No. 4, December 2011,pp. 699-716.
  • Kinzer, Stephen, “Tirade by Qaddafi Stuns Turkey’s Premier” New York Times 09 October 1996 http://www.n.ytimes. com/1996/10/09/world/tirade-by-qaddafi-stuns-turkey-s-premier.html.
  • Kirişçi, Kemal , “The Transformation of Turkish Foreign Policy: The Rise of the Trading State”, New Perspectives on Turkey, Vol. 40, 2009, pp: 29-57.
  • Koloğlu, Orhan, 500 Years in Turkish-Libyan Relations, Ankara: Center for Strategic Research, 2007.
There are 11 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language Turkish
Journal Section Research Article
Authors

İşık Gürleyen This is me

Publication Date July 1, 2013
Published in Issue Year 2013 Volume: 5 Issue: 1

Cite

Chicago Gürleyen, İşık. “Türkiye’de, NATO’nun Libya’ya Müdahalesinin Medyada İşlenişi”. Ortadoğu Etütleri 5, no. 1 (July 2013): 117-38.

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