‘A long,narrow and uphill road’: The representation of Turkey–EEC/EU relations in the Turkish newspapers Cumhuriyet and Hürriyet (1959

Abstract

Turkey’s membership process to the European Union has been a ‘long, narrow and uphill road’, as former Turkish Prime Minister, and later President, Turgut Özal once stated. This study analyses the representation of the European Union–Turkey negotiation process in the Turkish newspapers Cumhuriyet and Hürriyet from 1959 to 2019 with the aim of understanding the changing meaning of ‘Europe’ and the ‘European Union’ in Turkish news discourse. There is comprehensive literature on the representation of Turkey’s membership process in the European press. This article aims to contribute to the field by assessing the representation of the same process from a different angle. For this purpose, Cumhuriyet and Hürriyet newspapers’ front page coverage of selected 10 key dates in the European Union–Turkey relations is analysed through critical discourse analysis.

Keywords

Discourse analysis European Union identity news Orientalism Turkey

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Aksoy

(2009) The prospect of Turkey’s EU membership as represented in the British Newspapers The Times and The Guardian, 2002-2005. Journal of European Studies 39(4): 469–506.

Arcayürek

(1987) Alafranga kapıda alaturka davranış [Alla turca behaviour in alla franca (European style) door]. Cumhuriyet, 15 April p. 1.

Avcı

(2011) The justice and development party and the EU: Political pragmatism in a changing environment’. South European Society and Politics 16(3): 409–421.

Aydın-Düzgit

Kaliber

(2016) Encounters with Europe in an Era of domestic and international turmoil: Is Turkey a de-Europeanising candidate country? South European Society and Politics 21(1): 1–14.

Balkır

Eylemer

(2016) Shifting logics: The discourses of Turkish political elites on EU accession. South European Society and Politics 21(1): 29–43.

Buckingham

(2013) Mixed messages of solidarity in the Mediterranean: Turkey, the EU and the Spanish Press. Discourse & Society 24(2): 186–207.

Coles

(1968) The Ottoman Impact on Europe. London: Thames and Huston.

Council of the European Union (2019). Turkey’s illegal drilling activities in the Eastern Mediterranean: Council adopts framework for Sanctions, November 11. Available at: https://www.consilium.europa.Eu/en/press/press-releases/2019/11/11/turkey-s-illegal-drilling-activities-in-the-eastern-mediterranean-council-adopts-framework-for-sanctions/ (accessed 21 March 2020).

Cumhuriyet (1959) Müşterek Pazar Konseyinin Türkiye ile alakalı kararı [Common Market Council’s decision regarding Turkey]. Cumhuriyet, 12 September, p. 1.

10.

Cumhuriyet (1963) Dün Anlaşma imzalandı [Yesterday the Agreement was signed]. Cumhuriyet, 13 September, p. 1

11.

Cumhuriyet (1987) Özal: Zor günler kapıda [Özal: Tough times at the door]. Cumhuriyet, 15 April, p. 492.

12.

Cumhuriyet (1997a) Düşünce özgürlüğü yine rafa kaldırıldı [Freedom of thought is again put aside]. Cumhuriyet, 14 December, p. 1.

13.

Cumhuriyet (1997b) Türkiye’den AB’ye tavır [Turkey takes up (negative) attitude towards the EU]. Cumhuriyet, 13 December, p. 1.

14.

Cumhuriyet (2005) Müzakereler başladı [Negotiations started]. Cumhuriyet, 4 December, p. 1.

15.

Cumhuriyet (2016) Ağır tablo [Heavy toll]. Cumhuriyet, 25 November, p. 1

16.

Dedeoğlu

(2003) Dünden Bugüne Avrupa Birliği [European Union from Yesterday to Today]. İstanbul: Boyut Kitapları.

17.

Delanty

(1995) Inventing Europe: Idea, Identity, Reality. London: Macmillan.

18.

Ekşi

(1999) Nihayet O Gün Geldi [Finally that day has come]. Hürriyet, 11 December, p. 14.

19.

European Parliament (2016) European parliament resolution of 24 November 2016 on EU-Turkey relations (2016/2993(RSP)). Available at: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-8-2016-0450_EN.html?redirect (accessed 21 March 2020).

20.

Garrett

Bell

(1998) Media and discourse: A critical overview. In: Garrett

Bell

(eds) Approaches to Media Discourse. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell, pp. 1–20.

21.

Göle

(2005) Avrupa’yı Tanımlamak Türkiye’yi Ötekilestirmek Mi? [Is Defining Europe the Othering of Turkey?]’. Euroagenda / Avrupa Günlüğü 4(7): 267–273.

22.

Hall

(1996) Introduction: Who needs ‘Identity’? In: Hall

Du Gay

(eds) Questions of Cultural Identity. London: SAGE, pp. 1–17.

23.

Hilmi

(1997) Avrupalılaşmak [Europeanization]. Ankara: Gündoğan Yayınları.

24.

Hürriyet (1959) Türkiye Müşterek Pazara alınıyor [Turkey is being taken into the Common Market]. Hürriyet, 12 September, p. 30.

25.

Hürriyet (1963a) Ortak Pazara girdik [We entered into the Common Market]. Hürriyet, 13 September, p. 1.

26.

Hürriyet (1963b) Türkiye Ortak Pazar’da [Turkey is in the Common Market]. Hürriyet, 13 September, p. 1.

27.

Hürriyet (1963c) 22 yıl dişinizi sıkın. Ortak Pazar refah ve saadet getiriyor [Endure for 22 Years. the Common Market Brings Prosperity and Happiness]. Hürriyet, 13 September, p. 1

28.

Hürriyet (1987a) Avrupa’da görücüye çıktık [We are seen for arranged marriage in Europe]. Hürriyet, 15 April, p. 1

29.

Hürriyet (1987b) Komünist ve dinci partiler kurulabilir [Communist and religious parties can be established]. Hürriyet, 15 April, p. 1.

30.

Hürriyet (1996) 088 sayfalık start [A start of 1088 pages]. Hürriyet, 1 January.p.1

31.

Hürriyet (1997a) Densiz başbakan [Tactless prime minister]. Hürriyet, 13 December. Available at: https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/dunya/densiz-basbakan-39278396

32.

Hürriyet (1997b) Üyelik en az on yıl hayal [Membership is a fantasy for at least ten years]. Hürriyet, 14 December. p.1.

33.

Hürriyet (1999) Avrupa: Türkiye Hoş geldin [Europe: Welcome Turkey]. Hürriyet, 12 December, p. 23.

34.

Hürriyet (2005a) Kapılar açıldı [The gates have been opened]. Hürriyet, 4 December. Available at: https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/kapilar-acildi-355028

35.

Hürriyet (2005b) Viyana valsi [Waltz of Vienna]. Hürriyet, 4 December. p. 1.

36.

Hürriyet (2015) AB ile bahar [Spring with the EU]. Hürriyet, 30 November, p.1.

37.

Hürriyet (2016) Avrupa Parlamentosu ‘Dondurun’ dedi [European Parliament said ‘Freeze’]. Hürriyet, 25 November. Available at: https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/dunya/avrupa-parlamentosu-dondurun-dedi-40287750

38.

Koenig

Sabina

John

, et al. (2006) Media Framings of the Issue of Turkish Accession to the EU’. Innovation: The European Journal of Social Science Research 19(2): 149–169.

39.

Macmillan

(2016) Competing and co-existing constructions of Europe as Turkey’s ‘Other(s)’ in Turkish Political Discourse. Journal of Contemporary European Studies 21(1): 104–121.

40.

Makdisi

(2002) Ottoman orientalism. The American Historical Review 107(3): 768–796.

41.

Negrine

(2008) Imagining Turkey: British press coverage of Turkey’s bid for accession to the European Union in 2004. Journalism 9(5): 624–645.

42.

Negrine

Beybin

Rabah

, et al. (2008) Turkey and the European Union: An analysis of how the press in four countries covered Turkey’s Bid for accession in 2004. European Journal of Communication 23(1): 47–68.

43.

Nienaber

Barkin

(2017) In Shift, Merkel Backs End to EU-Turkey Membership Talks. Reuters, September 4. Available at: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-turkey-merkel/in-shift-merkel-backs-end-to-eu-turkey-membership-talks-idUSKCN1BE15B (accessed 20 September 2017).

44.

Republic of Turkey Ministry of For eign Affairs (2019) No: 302, 14 October 2019, press release regarding the conclusions adopted by the EU Foreign affairs council. Available at: http://www.mfa.gov.tr/no_302_-ab-dis-iliskiler-konseyi-nin-kabul-ettigi-kararlar-hk.en.mfa (accessed 22 March 2020).

45.

Robins

(1996) Interrupting identities: Turkey/Europe. In: Hall

du Gay

(eds) Questions of Cultural Identity. London: SAGE, pp. 61–86.

46.

Rumelili

(2011) Turkey: Identity, foreign policy, and socialization in a post-enlargement Europe. Journal of European Integration 33(2): 235–249.

47.

Said

(2003) Orientalism. London: Penguin.

48.

Schneeberger

(2009) Constructing European identity through mediated difference: A content analysis of Turkey’s EU accession process in the British Press. PLATFORM: Journal of Media and Communication 1: 183–102.

49.

Selçuk

(1999) Avrupalılaşmak? [Europeanisation?]. Cumhuriyet, 12 December, p.2.

50.

Tamer

(1987) Sanayicide AET heyecanı [The EEC excitement among the industrialists]. Cumhuriyet, 17 April, p. 1.

51.

Tekin

BÇ

(2008) The Construction of Turkey’s Possible EU Membership in French Political Discourse. Discourse & Society 19(6): 727–763.

52.

Tekin

BÇ

(2010) Representations and Othering in Discourse: The Constructio n of Turkey in the EU Context. Amsterdam; Philadelphia, PA: John Benjamins Publishing Company.

53.

Tolan

(1999) Türkiye’den Dünyaya Bir Bakış: Türkiye’deki Avrupalı İmgesi ve Ulusal Kimlik Kurgusuna Etkileri [A Glance from Turkey to the World: The European Image in Turkey and its Effects on the National Identity Construction]. İstanbul: Galatasaray Üniversitesi Yayınları.

54.

Tunaya

(1960) Türk Siyasal Hayatında Batılılaşma [Westernization in Turkish Political Life]. İstanbul: Yedigün Matbaası.

55.

Türenç

(1997) Avrupa! Canın cehenneme . . . [Europe! Go to hell . . .]. Hürriyet, December 13, p.1.

56.

Uluengin

(1987) Şimdi ne olacak? [What will happen now?]. Cumhuriyet, 15 April, p.1.

57.

Van Dijk

(1984) Structures of international news: A case study of the World’s Press. Available at: http://www.discourses.org/OldBooks/Teun%20A%20van%20Dijk%20-%20Structures%20of%20International%20News.pdf (accessed 14 March 2020).

58.

Van Dijk

(1988) News Analysis: Case Studies of International and National News in the Press. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

59.

Van Dijk

(1991) Racism and the Press. London and New York: Routledge.

60.

Walter

Albert

(2009) Turkey on the European doorstep: British and German debates about Turkey in the European Communities. Journal of International Relations and Development 12: 223–250.

61.

Yapp

(Nov.1992) Europe in the Turkish Mirror. Past and Present 137: 134–155.

62.

Yavuz

(1996) Osmanlılık, Kültür, Kimlik [Ottomanness, Culture and Identity]. İstanbul: Boyut Yayınları.

63.

Zerman

(2019) Reappropriating the orientalist gaze in the material culture of Kemalist Turkey: The formation of an ‘Aesthetic Nationalism’. In: Clayer

Giomi

Szurek

(eds) Kemalism: Transnational Politics in the Post-Ottoman World. London: I.B.Tauris, pp. 217–263.

‘A long,narrow and uphill road’: The representation of Turkey–EEC/EU relations in the Turkish newspapers Cumhuriyet and Hürriyet (1959–2019)

Abstract

Keywords

Get full access to this article

References