During the parliamentary and presidential elections held in May in Türkiye, numerous irritating comments were published or broadcast by several media outlets, whether based abroad or with a local office in the country. Daily Sabah already covered stories like those in The Economist or so-called “cartoons” run by a self-styled French satirical magazine. Hence, this opinion piece aims to address the highly toxic undercurrent that urgently needs to be acknowledged by my colleagues overseas, particularly in Europe.
It wasn’t just during the lead-up to the crucial vote that we witnessed such instances. Even in the dead of night, one was compelled to scrutinize statements like “the opposition candidate (Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu) is a clear winner” or questions like “Will Türkiye slide further into an autocratic system?”
Two issues became strikingly evident as I responded live on TRT World television on both occasions. First, no one challenges our international colleagues, regardless of being based in Türkiye or overseas, to do their job however they wish, under one condition: you have to check the facts and not succumb to your latent anti-Türkiye sentiments.
Second, if a media team from Türkiye would begin covering the run-up and the actual night of a national election in any fellow European country and declare from the onset that the elections are over, that democracy would lose should a particular candidate win, that a certain politician is good or bad for your country, there would be a massive revolt against us engaging in verbal warfare.
Slogans such as “the Turkish media are here to destroy our way of life, they are biased, they try to influence our national vote and so on” would become the order of the day.
But the latter scenario would never happen because reporting about a foreign country is a pleasure and an honor. Citizens of that country will treat you with respect as working for the media is noble, carrying immense responsibility as your audiences will trust you. Turkish journalists commenting about foreign countries’ affairs are trained to analyze, research, ask the right questions, and present them fairly and honestly.
In my previous remarks, I highlighted the existence of an underlying current and, in our case, a highly toxic one. It is no longer something that can be shrugged off as inconsequential. Regrettably, it does matter and it demands immediate attention.
What those media houses unfairly belittling modern Türkiye, often in synch with a number of Turkish nationals currently residing abroad who are consulted as “experts” yet predominantly express their own biased views on Türkiye, are purposefully engaging in misinformation campaigns that lead to the misleading of their target audience(s).
No trained journalist would not be aware of the consequences a certain way of arguing, either in front of the television camera or while putting pen to paper, has on viewers and readers alike. Thus, written, no one could reasonably state that featuring negative commentary about Türkiye happens by chance, an accident the proud nation should better not take seriously anyhow, just a footnote in and of history.
On the contrary – it must be taken very seriously as some international media coverage just about stopped short of inciting hatred amongst the Turkish community living for decades in that particular country and pitching those in favor of one politician against those supporting another. This also boiled over how Türkiye is perceived in the non-Turkish community.
We then approach the complex issue of why Türkiye, and above all else, why especially targeting one statesman, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan? It is an almost pathological obsession.
Asked about “where, when did it all start,” and after careful scrutiny of phrases, words and expressions found in international media, one cannot get rid of the impression that, first and foremost, it is the fear of a modern, strong, influential and successful Türkiye. Over the past two decades, Türkiye transformed itself into a model democracy, no longer taking orders from abroad but demanding to be treated as an equal actor and rightly so. Certainly, a development not necessarily lauded in some political quarters and that includes our friends across the Atlantic.
As outright declaring one single nation as the enemy due to its success story would be somewhat tricky even for Türkiye bashers, something else had to be added: an object of hate speech in the form of the country’s cherished leader as, after all, one person must be held responsible for this immense increase in stature, being independent, being open to the world, being a humanitarian role model, being faced by terrorist groups often orchestrated from overseas. And indeed, President Erdoğan is the key personality behind this success story and the entire nation.
But what can one publish about such a successful leader representing a prosperous country? You have to fabricate false news or lie outright to your audience. Trying to turn around the image of a trusted and highly respected leader into a villain of sorts may make stuff for a cheap Hollywood B-movie, so how come many international colleagues wake up in the morning and ask themselves what fake news about Erdoğan can I publish today?
Probably and perhaps the most logical explanation is that what they experience in their very own countries – a profound change in society, a society searching for common values, a community often at odds with the reality on the ground as politicians say one thing, citizens ask for another, a general loss in trust in the political classes besides many further points – leads to a certain giving in or giving up as positive news are found rather infrequently.
Now enter modern Türkiye – where despite a pandemic, society thrives, where despite a conflict situation in Ukraine, diplomacy is spot on, where despite sky-rocketing inflation everywhere in the world here, measures are being taken to bring it down fast, where new universities spring up same as world-class hospitals, where new airports are being constructed and one high-speed rail link after the other is ready to welcome travelers on board shiny new train. Let us not forget another key aspect of life in this fascinating country: modernity paired with promoting traditional family values, solidarity seldom found elsewhere.
This brings me to the final observation for today: if those colleagues writing negatively about Türkiye do so because there is nothing positive left to write about back home – bad luck. Perhaps their societies would become so much more socially and politically inclusive if they take a closer look at developments here in Türkiye, drop their biased script-books, and travel to all four corners of the nation. Then reflect on what you see and compare it with home. Then we all start a dialogue.
In the realm of media, proficiency lies in effectively engaging one’s audience and effectively communicating with the international community, whether at home or abroad.
I believe European media possesses the necessary skills to report objectively. So let us embark on a fresh start and uphold the principles of unbiased journalism, please!
