Through critical discourse analysis, we analyzed news articles and columns that contain hate speech targeting national, ethnic and religious identity groups, and LGBTI+ people in the print media in April, May and June 2024. You can access news clippings and detailed analyses through “Hate Speech in the Press: Our Selections from April-May-June'' to access news clippings and detailed analysis.
In Turkish print media in the months of April, May and June;
- Jewish identity was held responsible for the acts committed by a group by using negative references and Jews were associated with aggression.
- The visibility of LGBTI+ people was problematized, and it was claimed that they pose a 'threat' to the family and social structure of society, and homophobic discourses targeting sexual orientation groups were generated.
- Armenian identity was associated with violence in news articles covering historical events and targeted with negative expressions that reinforced hostility.
- Greek Cypriot (Rum) identity was pointed out as responsible for the incidents of violence in news articles covering historical and current events.
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1. Yeni Akit, “Armenians are building a military buildup” The news article claims that the Armenian army is massing troops on the Karabakh border. While these allegations are carried to the headline, the responsibility for the actions of the army is attributed to the Armenian identity. In the text, the description of the alleged actions of the Armenian military forces as a 'threat' against Azerbaijan evokes war and regional tension. Additionally, the phrase 'Armenians are not wise' in the text refers to previous conflicts and wars, attributing the actions of the military to identity and defining the continuity of these actions with a negative adjective. Thus, existing prejudice and hostility towards Armenians is reinforced.
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2. Vatan, “ Türkiye with the Traces of the 10s” The column conveys the author's views on the events in Cyprus in the 1960s. While the author presents the claims about the events, the author attributes the responsibility for the state policies to the Greek Cypriot (Rum) identity. The column associates identity with committing crimes and conducting inhumane practices, reinforcing hostility towards Greek Cypriot identity. The author also characterizes the Armenian Genocide as a 'lie' and 'slander' and defines people who recognize the genocide as 'traitors'. As such, negative perceptions of Armenian identity are reinforced and hostility between Armenian, Greek Cypriot, and Turkish identities is fueled. |
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April 4, 2024 |
3. Yeni Şafak, “Pressure, torture and harassment in Jerusalem” The news article reports on actions against Al-Aqsa Mosque in the first quarter of 2024. In the text and the headline, the responsibility for the actions of a group is attributed to Jewish identity. By associating Jewish identity with 'violence' and 'brutality', prejudices and hostility against Jews are fueled. |
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4 Nisan 2024 |
4. Yeni Mesaj, “Greek Cypriots (Rum) unmasked" The news article is reporting on a politician's response to the statements of the Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus on EOKA. With the unquoted expression 'Greek Cyrpiot (Rum)-Greek mentality', the responsibility for state policies is attributed to Greek Cypriot and Greek identities. The unquoted expressions used in the headline and the expressions used to reinforce the statements reproduce hate speech. By using stereotypical negative expressions, the perception of hostility towards Greek Cypriots is fueled. |
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April 10, 2024
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5. Yeni Akit, “Germans made a defense in The Hague with Jewish language” The news article quotes the Director of Legal Affairs of the German Foreign Ministry's defense of Nicaragua's lawsuit against Germany. In the text, it is claimed that Germany's historical relationship with its Jewish identity has shaped state policies towards Israel today. The responsibility for these policies is attributed to German identity and prejudices against Germans are fueled. With the phrase 'Jewish language' used in the headline, Jewish identity is used as an element of insult and humiliation. By attributing negative connotations to the identity, hate speech against Jews is generated. |
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April 12, 2024
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6. Diriliş Postası, “Fanatical Jews Attack Villages” The news article reports on the destruction of Palestinian villages by Israeli settlers. However, the definition of illegal Israeli settlers through their Jewish identity reproduces existing prejudices against Jews by associating Jewish identity with the adjectives “occupier” and “aggressor”. Moreover, discourses of war and hostility towards Jewish identity are fed. |
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April 24, 2024 |
7. Yeni Akit, “Armenians committed ethnic cleansing against Azerbaijanis” The news article reports on a lawsuit filed by Azerbaijan against Armenia. The article covers the statements of a government official from Azerbaijan regarding the case and states that the trials are ongoing. The demands of both countries regarding the case are conveyed. While the article talks about the lawsuit process between the two states, the responsibility for the allegations against the Armenian state is attributed to the entire identity. In the headline, the Armenian identity is associated with war crimes and violence. Thus, existing prejudices and hostility against the Armenians are reinforced. |
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April 25, 2024 |
8. Aydınlık, “WE DISMISSED ARMENIAN GENOCIDE PROPAGANDAS” The news article reports the statements of a politician on the Armenian Genocide. The Genocide is defined with the terms 'lie' and 'propaganda', thus reinforcing prejudices against Armenian identity. Hate speech is regenerated by quoting these statements in the text and in the headline without quotation marks. Hostility against Armenians is fueled. |
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April 26, 2024 |
9. Tanık Gazetesi, “Traces of the Armenian massacre remain for 104 years” The news article reports the details of a raid allegedly carried out by an Armenian group in the village of Camili in Adana in 1920. The allegations attribute the actions of the group in Adana and Kayseri to Armenian identity. In the title and text, the Armenian identity is associated with war and violence, thereby reinforcing hostility towards the identity. The frequent use of the word 'atrocity' to generate a discourse of hostility fuels prejudices against Armenians. |
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April 29, 2024 |
10. Yeni Akit, “Iraq imposes heavy penalties against LGBT's” The news article reports on the amendments made in the Iraqi parliament on criminal laws against LGBTI+ people. In the text, legal regulations that directly target the fundamental rights of LGBTI+ people are supported by homophobic and transphobic expressions. LGBTI+ people are identified with the term 'deviant' and labeled as a 'threat' to 'youth' and 'social structure'. Thus, existing prejudices and hostility towards LGBTI+ people are reinforced. |
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May 7, 2024 |
11. Van Sesi, “ WITNESSES OF THE ARMENIAN ATROCITIES IN VAN” The column covers the testimonies of three different people in different villages of Van. The statements of the people who allegedly witnessed the attacks of Armenian groups are conveyed. While the alleged events are conveyed in the column, the responsibility for the actions of different groups is attributed to the Armenian identity. Armenian identity is associated with negative terms such as 'persecution' and 'massacre'. The expression 'atrocities' used in the title of the text fuels the perception of hostility towards Armenians by associating the identity with war crimes and violence.
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 May 15, 2024 |
12. Milli Gazete, “ BIGOT JEWS RAMPAGED!” The news article claims that Jewish settlers stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque. Citing footage on social media, the news article claims that Israeli police protected the settlers and prevented Muslims from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque. However, the alleged raid by Jewish settlers is generalized to Jewish identity. In the headline, Jews are targeted with the negative adjective 'bigot'. Jewish identity is associated with crime and existing hostility towards Jews is fueled. |
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May 21, 2024 |
13. Yeni Akit, “Genderlessness is a great threat to our family” The news article reports a politician's statements on the Eurovision Song Contest and TurkStat birth statistics. The news article claims that the contest is 'propagandizing genderlessness' and includes the politician's statement that this situation poses a 'threat' to the family. However, the sentence is carried to the headline without using quotation marks, thus reproducing hate speech. The news article embraces the view that the politician defines LGBTI+ people and women as a 'threat' to the family. The existing hostility is fueled by the words 'propaganda' and 'disaster' in the content of the article. |
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June 5, 2024 |
14. Doğru Haber, “Hindu Atrocities in Delhi” The news article claims that Muslims are banned from praying in mosques in India. Citing Al-Jazeera as a source, the report quoted a mosque imam's statements on the issue. The ban, allegedly imposed by an official institution in the country, is described as an act of Hindus against Muslims, creating a dichotomy between identities. The responsibility for the actions is attributed to Hindu identity. The word 'persecution' used in the headline associates Hindu identity with violence and generates hate speech against Hindus. |
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June 10, 2024 |
15. Ticaret Gazetesi, Tayfun Gözüm, “” Are they refugees, asylum seekers or invaders (II)” In the column, the author describes international protocols on refugee status and presents demographic data on refugees living in Türkiye. While sharing these alleged data, refugees are frequently described as 'invaders' and the perception that their presence poses a 'threat' is supported. Refugees are also pointed to as the cause of difficult economic conditions. The perception of 'threat' against Syrians and refugees is reinforced by claiming that the demographic structure will change in the coming years. Thus, prejudice and hostility against refugees are fueled. |
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June 10, 2024 |
16. Sözcü, “Greek provocation crossed the limit” The news article reports on Greece conducting an army exercise on the border of Türkiye. Giving details of the exercise, the news reports that soldiers from other countries also supported the exercise. With the phrase 'Greek provocation' used in the headline, Greek identity is held responsible for a state policy and Greeks are portrayed as a ‘threat’. Together with the discourse on the 'occupation of the islands', the perception of hostility towards Greek identity and existing prejudices are fueled. |
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June 11, 2024 |
17. Aydınlık, “ARW's Call to Parliament: LAW BANNING LGBT propaganda and organizing MUST BE ENACTED” The news article reports the statements of the Association of Republican Women against LGBTI+ people. In the news article, where the visibility of LGBTI+ people in society is defined with the expressions 'propaganda,' 'global exploitation' and 'threat to the family', legal regulations restricting LGBTI+ rights are demanded from state institutions. The news language reproduces these demands and discourses targeting LGBTI + people. Moreover, with expressions such as 'perversion' and 'so-called honor week', negative prejudices against LGBTI+ identity are reinforced. |
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June 20, 2024 |
18. Doğru Haber, “A NEW EUROPE AGAINST THE JEWISH INVASION!” The column presents allegations of a 'silent Jewish invasion' in Europe and the author's proposed solutions. By defining the alleged act of 'invasion' in terms of 'political sin', the Jewish identity is portrayed as a 'threat' and the situation is generalized by attributing this situation to all identities. The author's proposed solutions, based on Muslim examples, deepen discrimination and fuel the existing hostility towards Jews. |
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June 20, 2024 |
19. Yeni Akit, “Israeli newspaper also called it Jewish terrorism” The news article reports on a law that is being discussed to be enacted in Israel. It is claimed that with this law, administrative detention will become a part of Israel's discriminatory policies against Palestinians. The article is published in an Israeli newspaper and the responsibility for state policies is attributed to Jewish identity. In the headline and in the text, the article frequently used the expressions 'Jewish terrorism' and 'Jewish terrorism' thus inciting discrimination and hostility against Jews.
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June 21, 2024 |
20. Yeni Akit, “SECULARISTIC BIGOTS ARE WORSE THAN GIAOUR” The news article quotes statements written in response to a report about Religious Affairs in another newspaper. The article criticizes the allegations against the Religious Affairs' headquarters in the United States and defends it. However, those who criticize the mentioned structure are described as 'worse than giaour'. The term 'giaour' used for non-Muslims is frequently preferred to indicate a permanent hostility. Non-Muslim identity is symbolized by associating it with negative acts. Prejudices and hostility towards Christians are reinforced.
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