Turkish Media Policy in National Context

Abstract

Since the foundation of the press, the media in Turkey has had a symbiotic relationship with the state. From the outset, the regime has relied on the media for shaping public opinion and disseminating propaganda. The media has been used as an instrument by both civilian governments and military regimes for the consolidation of their power. The state’s heavy involvement rendered the development of a ‘media policy’ impossible, since the media did not exist as an independent realm to shape and be shaped by society and politics. Instead, it existed as a tool for the state to control and manipulate society.