Turkey, transformation and the left media

Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14683849.2010.540113

Turkey has been undergoing a radical transformation process. Not only has the internal space of Turkish modernity become enlarged through the emergence and widening of identity-based conflicts and demands for recognition, Turkish politics, economy, and culture have also become exposed to the challenges of globalization and Europeanization. The impact of this transformation has been felt in every sphere of societal relations, and media in general. The social democratic/left media, in particular, has been impacted the most. This study focuses on two significant newspapers of the social democratic/left media, Cumhuriyet and Milliyet, and argues that the serious problems that these newspapers face today have to do with their inability to respond effectively to Turkey's transformation. In doing so, a brief analysis of the transformation process is presented. Finally, by situating these newspapers in this process, their drift away from their social democratic discourse on the way to becoming more reactionary and nationalist is demonstrated.