Perceived group threats and right-wing political party membership as driving forces of negative descriptions in Turkish Parliamentary debates (1983–2018)

Abstract

ABSTRACT To what extent do perceived threats explain negative descriptions of minorities in politics? This study addresses this ever-significant inquiry by scrutinising all mentions of Armenians in Turkish parliamentary proceedings between 1983 and 2018. Building on group position theory, it proposes that perceived threats influence the perception of Armenians in Turkish politics. The study relies on a quantitative content analysis to test this premise. The findings demonstrate that being a member of a right-wing political party and discussing security and diplomatic threats predict politicians’ negative descriptions of Armenians. The study concludes that perceived threats to Turkey’s national security and international standing contribute to the negative perception of Armenians in Turkish mainstream politics.