Turkey’s Propaganda in its Psychological War to Mislead the Public Opinion
Osman Ali: A researcher at Al- Furat Center for Study
Al-Furat Center for Studies- Translation Department
Also Available in (Arabic)
Introduction
In the propaganda psychology impact, this fact is being said: who did not die with a bullet, he would be poisoned with a word or would be shocked with a photo (authentic or fake), there is no innocent word or another less innocent, and there is no neutral photo or another biased in the linguistics or photography. Instead, there are systematic up-to-date processes based on scientific foundations and theories that invest psychology, sociology, politics, and economy, to implant a hybrid ideology, or spread stereotyped ideas within individuals and groups, this is what the American writer, Shiller as, “the melting pot”, calls.
Thus, Napoleon Buna Bert praised the psychological war when he said: The war of minds is stronger than the war of weapons, and the mind always prevails over the sword”.
Previously, in the wake of the traditional ways of invasion and launching wars, the hidden psychological tactics have been functioned, such as distributing the scary legendary and building towers from the skulls of victims, depending on the whistles of death and distributing spies amongst the enemy’s ranks. In aiming at striking the psychology, social, and military construction of the rival, and forcing him on submission and surrender.
Contrary to what the media world has witnessed from an accelerating transformation of information technology, a visual glamour, the emergence of the new digital server, and providing scientific researches(personal, psychological, in particular), the modern war primarily has become a psychological one in the first place. In addition, the imitation of both sides (psychological-neurological) of the victim is its building block, while its domain is the mind, and the individual has been under the effect of the hierarchal flow of the textual and visual material as well that “Gatekeeper theory” launches based on its purposes and agendas. Especially, with the diversity and advancement of misinformation, and the ways of coercive persuasion (brainwashing), and the breakthrough of personality, and what had followed of transformation of every approach in controlling the audience’s values and beliefs to science by itself.
In the wake of what previously had been mentioned, we will analyze scientific methods and the strategies and soft psychological techniques that are being used by the media, in the mobilization of public opinion. Alongside interpreting the communication-based role in creating consensus, and the lost herd, and what they are needed of developing an (internal and external) hybrid opinion that serves the agenda of the sending party of the media content.
As a result, we found the propagandist experience of the Turkish media is the best choice to go through it, which had various repercussions largely on the social, political, and intellectual stability of communities. In addition, it also had advanced roles in affecting the individuals’ identity and affiliation on both internal and external levels. Therefore, many psychological and social studies and media papers works have tackled it as a topic of explanation and analysis.
