Hate Speech in the Press: Our Selections from January

Using critical discourse analysis, we evaluated news articles and columns that were published in Turkey’s national and local press in January 2023 that targeted national, ethnic, and religious identities, and LGBTI+ people. You may access news clippings and detailed analysis at “Hate Speech in the Press: Our Selections from January”.

In Turkish print media within the month of January;

It was claimed that the visibility of LGBTI+ people poses a threat to 'the youth and family structure', and a homophobic discourse was produced by targeting LGBTI+ people for their gender identity and sexual orientation.
Hate speech targeting Afghan and Syrian identities created the perception that they pose a threat to the social order.
Greek identity was targeted with negative commentary and associated with violence due to the Greek state violating the rights of migrants.
Jewish identity was associated with aggression and labeled as responsible for violence.

3 January 2023	1. Aydınlık, “LGBT imposition in IMM Metros” This news describes the broadcasting of promotional videos by Amnesty International on Istanbul metro lines and the views of various politicians on the videos in question. The inclusion of signature campaigns for LGBTI+ rights in the videos is described as an “imposition” in the headline. The images from an LGBTI+ march for rights and the visibility of LGBTI+ flags are presented as problematic. Existing hostility towards LGBTI+ people is further fueled by claims that gender identities and sexual orientations other than cis-heteronormative are the enemies of ‘the family, the state, and the military’.
4 January 2023	2. Akşam, “Greek banditry caught by UAV” This news describes how a naval UAV recorded a boat carrying migrants being pushed back into Turkish territorial waters by a Greek Coast Guard team. The violation of migrant rights by a group is generalized to Greek identity by associating it with the term 'banditry'. Prejudices against Greeks are reinforced by associating their identity with criminality.
5 January 2023	3. Yeni Şafak, “Jewish terrorists destroyed a Christian cemetery in Jerusalem” In East Jerusalem, a Protestant Christian cemetery was attacked by a Jewish group. This news story reports on the events and the written statement of the Diocese of Jerusalem regarding it. In the headline, the responsibility for the actions taken by a group is transferred to the Jewish identity which in turn is associated with violence. Existing prejudices against Jews, who are portrayed as a threat, are reinforced.
9 January 2023	4. Türkiye’de Yeniçağ, “AS IF THEY CAME TO TURKEY TO GIVE BIRTH” The news reports on a statement by the mayor of Hatay Metropolitan Municipality regarding the birth rate of women coming from Syria. The higher birth rate of migrant women from Syria compared to that of Turkish women is presented as problematic. Additionally Syrian identity is marked out as a threat by emphasizing the increasing number of Syrians who will vote in the upcoming general election. While prejudices against migrants are reinforced, the right of migrants to equal participation in society is also ignored.
11 January 2023	5. Yeni Şafak, “She talked with a Greek viewpoint” While reporting on the statement of the German Foreign Minister regarding relations between Germany and the Greek Cypriot Administration, Greek identity is used as a basis for insult and humiliation, with the phrase 'Greek viewpoint' in the headline. By attributing negative connotations to their identity, prejudices against Greek Cypriots are reinforced and hate speech is generated.
13 January 2023	6. Türkiye, “Reaction to the sneaky Greek mentality” The news reports on an MP's statement that during the clearing of the forest area in the village of Horozlu in Xanthi, tombstones from the Ottoman period were found and the stones were vandalized. Interpreting the municipality's decision to construct a football field in the area where Ottoman cemeteries are located as an attempt to erase Turkish traces, the news portrays Greek identity as a threat to Turkish identity. The phrase 'sneaky Greek mentality' used in the headline generates hate speech by generalizing a negative adjective to an identity. Furthermore, Greek identity is targeted, and the hostility between Greek and Turkish identities is reinforced.
19 January 2023	7. Burası Çanakkale Gazetesi, “Are Afghans poisoning Çanakkale?” The news reports on the increasing drug-use in Çanakkale and the claim that people from Afghanistan play a role in drug production. While reporting the allegation, Afghan identity is targeted in the headline and content of the news. Afghans are associated with crime, even though identity itself has no relation to the crime. Existing prejudices against Afghans are fueled by reinforcing the perception that they pose a threat to the social order.
21 January 2023	8. Milat, “ENGLISH GAME!” This news story attacks the UK-based news magazine the Economist’s coverage of the upcoming elections in Turkey. While the written and visual expressions in the magazine are criticized, British identity is also targeted through the negative connotations in the headline. British identity is marked as potentially dangerous, and negative perceptions of British people are reinforced.
18 January 2023	9. Korkusuz, “Pushed to death by the Greek, saved by the Turkish soldier” The news reports on refugees off the coast of Bodrum pushed back into Turkish territorial waters by Greek coast guards. Greek identity is held as responsible for these human rights violations. Turkish identity is portrayed as the 'savior' in contrast, and Greeks are presented as hostile by creating a binary relationship between the two.
25 January 2023	10. Milat, “Russian Cruelty to Crimean Tatars” Claiming that Russia's Federal Security Service organized an operation in the homes of Crimean Tatar Turks and detained six people, the news generalizes the group's action to Russian identity in its headline. By attributing the expression 'cruelty' to Russian identity in the headline, identity is associated with violence, thereby marking it as hostile and a threat.
27 January 2023	11. Türkiye, “WESTERN COUNTRIES FUND PERVERSION, FLOOD LGBTI WITH MONEY” The news presented LGBTI+ rights groups working in Turkey and the financial support they receive as problematic. The news, which claims that Turkey’s constitutional amendment is supported by all segments of society, emphasizes that sexual orientation and gender identities other than cis-heteronormative are dangerous. By describing LGBTI+ people as 'perverts', the news reinforces existing prejudices against such people.
25 January 2023	12. Sözcü, “Afghan shepherd spread terror” Covering a murder in Ağrı, the headline and body of the story emphasizes Afghan identity although identity itself has no relation to the crime. By emphasizing identity, the perception that Afghans pose a threat to social order, along with existing prejudices against migrants, are reinforced.
30 January 2023	13. Yeni Asır, “Jews killed Palestinian youth in West Bank” This news reports that a Palestinian person died as a result of violence in the West Bank region. In the headline, the responsibility for the murder in question is attributed to Jewish identity, which in turn is associated with aggression. Existing perceptions of hostility and prejudices towards Jews are thus reinforced.