Political propaganda during the single-party regime in Turkey (1931–1946)

Abstract

This dissertation is about the political propaganda activities of the Turkish state during the Single-Party Regime. The purpose of this study is to draw the wide picture of the perception and organization of propaganda during early Republican period, including all elements that could be researched under the title of “the single party” and “propaganda”. This dissertation categorizes propaganda conducted by the single party between 1931 and 1946 in two, as “Revolution Propaganda” and “War Era Propaganda” and examines the content of domestic and foreign propaganda, its reference points, its mediums and channels in both periods. In 1931 after all opposition was quieted and with the concentrated activities in organization a new era had started; institutions and mediums of propaganda were further established in this period. However, the Second World War has been a game changer, thus the discourse of propaganda changed as well. While “Revolution Propaganda” was mainly based on Six Arrows, “War Era Propaganda” exploited features of patriotism and nationalism. In both periods, Matbuat Umum Müdürlüğü (Directorate General of the Press), one of the first institutions of the history of Republic was the official state institution responsible of propaganda. Propaganda through cinema, one of the most important mediums of propaganda of the period, has been evaluated as a microcosmos where colorful examples of the relation between the state and its partners and state’s discourse can be seen.