(Person) Percentage - Sabanci University Research Database

The Asian Media & Mass Communication Conference 2010 Osaka, Japan
In addition to Turkey’s intensive monopoly problems another problem arises in
2000’s: Partisan Media. Partisan media emerges following the split in social structure. In
Turkey AKP government caused a division in social structure. This division is between “Laic
democratic Republicans and second Republicans”. Government and media supporting the
government desire the second Republic. Media monopoly in Turkey is in the meantime
partisan press. For example, Çalık group supports the government with all its broadcasting
institutions. It is not possible to see news or articles criticizing the government in media
giving support to the government. Nevertheless there are almost every day supportive and
positive news or articles, suggestions about the government. These institutions support the
government without reservation all together. This behavior is valid during the elections and
after the elections.
On the other hand, Cumhuriyet is a laic democratic republican newspaper attached to
that ideology officially. In Turkey “Laic democratic Republican” media organs do not support
directly and openly a party but they can have a critical attitude to the government. However
during the elections, they give support to parties of their own political view. For instance
Cumhuriyet supports CHP, Ortadoğu supports MHP. We can suggest that Ortadoğu
newspaper’s general publishing policy relies on supporting MHP and criticizing the
government. Partisan press concept in Turkey is divided in two; government-partisan and
government-opposition. In other words, laic democratic republican media has a governmentopposition
position rather than supporting other parties outside the elections period. In fact,
this situation reflects some of the parties’ (especially CHP and MHP) attitude. However it is
not correct to name government-opposition press as partisan press. Nevertheless press’ role is
to criticize the government and the troubles of the society and this is what they do.
Another important issue is that the government cannot stand criticism, warn media
owners when they make criticism about the government and take decisions to economically
destabilize them. For instance Doğan media owner Aydın Doğan, accused of tax fraud is
sentenced to pay huge amount of money. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan warned
media owners and advised them to have a control over their columnists’ articles.
Partisan press in Turkey has another interesting characteristic in addition to its
interactivity with media monopoles. This is “political partisan media and ideological partisan
media.” Ideological partisan press is partially formed by Islamist media. Conceptual base of
Islamist media is founded in 1945’s by Necip Fazıl Kısakürek’s magazine entitled Büyük
Doğu. Later on the real base of Islamist media is founded in 1980’s. Military coup in
September 12, 1980 erased completely right and left wings and Islamist young generation
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