Deep State. Visual Socio-Political Communication in the Television Series and Serials of the Turkish Television Channel Samanyolu

Abstract

From the early 2000s onwards Turkish television drama has been a vehicle for the dissemination of political content in Turkey. It occurred in shows of many Turkish television channels. This article focuses on Samanyolu (1993-2016) a generic channel aiming at an Islamic orientated audience, related to the Gülen Movement. The channel disseminated its socio-political content through its television series and serials. Samanyolu focused on the Kurdish issue in three of the serials analysed in this article: Şubat Soğuğu [February Cold], Tek Turkiye [One Turkey] and Şefkat Tepe [Compassion Peak]. Their line of approach has a strong nationalistic view of the PKK: the PKK are terrorists and in cooperation with foreign forces, a threat for the unity of Turkey. However, in line with the teachings of the Gülen Movement, with an emphasis on peace, dialogue and education, the Kurdish people living in the area suffer most from the violence. Education would help them to have a better future, to develop their society and the need to join the PKK would disappear. Another recurrent theme is the 28 February 1997 military intervention; the subject of Şubat Soğuğu and Ötesiz İnsanlar [The People Beyond]. These programmes problematize the anti-Islamic measures taken after the military intervention. After 2013, the AKP focused on the destruction of the power of their former ally, the Gülen Movement. The Gülen Movement reacted through its television channel, not only in news programmes but in its series and serials as well.