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Dreams of Empire: The Role of Ottoman Nostalgia in Turkish State Propaganda
Abstract
Professionally produced agitprop videos have become an integral part of Erdoğanist state propaganda. These state-funded, high-profile agitprop videos are replete with references to Ottoman greatness and the iconographies of Turkish nationalism and modern Islamism. The recital of popular myths, such as the victimization of the Turkish nation at the hands of ‘the West’, or the nation’s resurrection in the face of despair are common features within these videos. With fulsome praise of the past and an even brighter vision for the future, Erdoğanist state propaganda seeks to frame present-day political conflict within the context of an imaginary eternal struggle of the nation; a struggle that is guided by the quest for freedom, power, justice, and piety under the leadership of one strong man, who is Erdoğan himself. The adversaries in this struggle are also being identified: the nation’s treacherous enemies from within and the imperialist ‘West’ from the outside. Against this backdrop, this talk seeks to analyze the metaphoric implications of Turkish agitprop videos and, thus, contribute to a better understanding of the rise of authoritarian populism and the decline of democracy in Turkey. It will also reflect on the role of contemporary agitprop videos in what Walter Lippmann once referred to as the “manufacture of consent”.
Discipline
Sociology
Geographic Area
Turkey
Sub Area
Turkish Studies