Tarih ve Gelecek Dergisi

Abstract

In this article, it is analysed how the 900th anniversary of the Victory of Malazgirt was handled in the print media in Turkey. News, columns and reviews in newspapers published in different cities of Turkey were analysed. The aim of the study is to reveal how the anniversary of a historical event is re-signified through the press in terms of national identity construction and perception of history. In the study conducted by qualitative content analysis method, the content of the texts in the newspapers and the principles they emphasise on the subject were evaluated. The findings show that the Victory of Malazgirt is associated with concepts such as historical memory, nationalism and social unity in different newspapers in various ways. In this respect, the study makes an important contribution to the analysis of a historical event and its transmission to future generations through the articles in the press.
The findings of the study reveal that print media plays an active role in shaping social memory and reproducing the meanings attributed to historical events, beyond being merely a means of conveying information. The content presented in newspapers on the anniversary of an event with high historical and symbolic value such as the Victory of Malazgirt both strengthens the sense of historical continuity and serves to create a narrative that coincides with current identity politics. In this framework, the press not only reminds the past, but also reconstructs it according to the political, ideological and cultural needs of the present. The emphasis placed by different newspapers on the meaning of the event also shows how historical events can be framed in various ways by the media. In particular, themes of unity and solidarity, heroic narratives and the foregrounding of national consciousness reveal that historical events are used as a tool in the construction of national identity. This situation shows that media representations on the anniversaries of historical events are not only limited to glorifying the past, but also function to reinforce the common values of the society and create a common vision for the future. In this context, the study constitutes an important example in terms of understanding the multi-layered relationship between media, history and social memory.
This study shows that media representations on the anniversaries of historical events not only carry the past into the present, but are also cultural practices through which collective identity is reproduced. In such commemoration processes, the print media not only conveys information but also creates symbolic spaces where social belonging and national integrity are reconstructed. At this point, the media actively participates in the formation of cultural memory; it prepares the ground for the development of a common narrative, a common consciousness and a social orientation through certain historical events.