View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Bilkent University Institutional Repository To my precious mother AYSEMA ÇA ĞDA Ş, THE BIRTH OF ANTI-SOVIET IMAGE IN THE TURKISH PRESS FOLLOWING THE SECOND WORLD WAR AND ITS REFLECTIONS AFTER THE DEATH OF STALIN (1953 - 1964) The Institute of Economics and Social Sciences of Bilkent University by NÂZIM ARDA ÇA ĞDA Ş In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS in THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS BILKENT UNIVERSITY ANKARA September 2008 I certify that I have read this thesis and have found that it is fully adequate, in scope and in quality, as a thesis for the degree of Master of Arts in International Relations. --------------------------- Associate Prof. Hakan Kırımlı Supervisor I certify that I have read this thesis and have found that it is fully adequate, in scope and in quality, as a thesis for the degree of Master of Arts in International Relations. --------------------------- Associate Prof. Dr. Erel Tellal Examining Committee Member I certify that I have read this thesis and have found that it is fully adequate, in scope and in quality, as a thesis for the degree of Master of Arts in International Relations. --------------------------- Dr. Hasan Ali Karasar Examining Committee Member Approval of the Institute of Economics and Social Sciences --------------------------- Prof. Dr. Erdal Erel Director ABSTRACT THE BIRTH OF ANTI-SOVIET IMAGE IN THE TURKISH PRESS FOLLOWING THE SECOND WORLD WAR AND ITS REFLECTIONS AFTER THE DEATH OF STALIN (1953 – 1964) Ça ğda ş, Nâzım Arda M.A., Department of International Relations Supervisor: Associate Prof. S. Hakan Kırımlı September 2008 This study aims to analyze the construction of the anti-Soviet sentiment in the Turkish press at the beginning of the Cold War, and its evolution during the period from the death of Stalin in 1953 until the ouster of Khrushchev in 1964. After an assessment of the antagonism towards Russia in the Turkish public before 1945, the immense rise of anti-Sovietism in the Turkish press during the Straits of the Crisis between the Soviet Union and Turkey will be analyzed. The long term influence of anti-Soviet stance during the crisis, which was also reflected to the quarrel between Tan and Tanin newspapers in 1945, over the period 1953–1964 will be examined. Three main issues will be analyzed: The iii influence of the Turkish governments over the press in terms of the construction of a negative Soviet image will be questioned. The anti-Soviet stance among the Turkish journalists apart from the state influence will be assessed. The reasons for the relaxation of anti-Sovietism up to 1960s will be analyzed. In this context, the general tendency of the Turkish press will be examined with regard to the examples from the anti-Soviet content from eight prominent newspapers of that period. Primarily Ulus, as the official press organ of the Republican People’s Party; and Zafer, as the semi-official press organ of the Democratic Party; and six independent newspapers, Ak şam, Cumhuriyet, Dünya, Hürriyet, Milliyet, and Vatan will be surveyed in terms of their anti-Soviet content. The prominent journalists in these newspapers will be also emphasized to observe the individual anti-Soviet perspectives in the press. The changing attitudes in the press will be assessed with regard to the developments in the Cold War. Key words: Turkish press, anti-communism, anti-Russianism, Turco- Russian relations, Cold War. iv ÖZET TÜRK BASININDA İKİNC İ DÜNYA SONRASINDA ANT İ-SOVYET GÖRÜ ŞÜN DO ĞMASI VE BUNUN STAL İN’ İN ÖLÜMÜNDEN SONRAK İ DÖNEME ETK İLER İ (1953 – 1964) Ça ğda ş, Nâzım Arda Master Tezi, Uluslararası İli şkiler Bölümü Tez Yöneticisi: Doç. Dr. S. Hakan Kırımlı September 2008 Bu çalı şma, So ğuk Sava ş’ın ba şlangıcında Türk basını tarafından yaratılan Sovyet kar şıtı hissiyatı ve bunun Stalin’in 1953 yılındaki ölümünden, Hru şçov’un 1964 yılında devrilmesine kadar olan dönemdeki evrimini incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Türk kamuoyunda Rusya’ya kar şı 1945’ten önceki dü şmanlı ğın de ğerlendirilmesinin ardından, Türk basınında Sovyetler Birli ği ve Türkiye arasında Bo ğazlar Krizi sırasında büyük bir yükseli şe geçen Sovyet aleyhtarlı ğına de ğinilecektir. 1945’te Tan ve Tanin gazeteleri arasındaki kavgaya yansıyan bu Sovyet kar şıtı tutumun, 1953–1964 yılları arasındaki döneme uzun vadedeki etkileri incelenecektir. Üç ana konu irdelenecektir: Türk hükümetlerinin, olumsuz bir Sovyet imajı in şa etmek anlamında Türk basınındaki etkisi sorgulanacak, Türk v gazetecileri arasında devletin etkisinin dı şındaki Sovyet aleyhtarlı ğı de ğerlendirilecek ve bu kar şıtlı ğın 1960’lara do ğru zayıflamasının sebepleri irdelenecektir. Bu ba ğlamda, basındaki genel e ğilim dönemin önde gelen sekiz Türk gazetesinden Sovyet kar şıtı içerikle ili şkili olarak gözden geçirilecektir: Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi’nin resmî basın organı Ulus; Demokrat Parti’nin yarı resmî basın organı Zafer; ve altı ba ğımsız gazete, Ak şam, Cumhuriyet, Dünya, Hürriyet, Milliyet, ve Vatan Sovyet aleyhtarı içerikleri bakımından incelenecektir. Türk basınında bireysel Sovyet kar şıtı perspektifleri gözlemlemek için, bu gazetelerin önde gelen yazarları da mercek altına alınacaktır. Basında de ğişen tutumlar So ğuk Sava ş’ın geli şmeleriyle ili şkili olarak de ğerlendirilecektir. Anahtar Kelimeler: Türk basını, Sovyet kar şıtlı ğı, komünizm kar şıtlı ğı, Türk-Rus ili şkileri, So ğuk Sava ş. vi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to Associate Prof. Sırrı Hakan Kırımlı, who supervised me throughout the preparation of my thesis with a great patience and diligence. Particularly, he frequently spared long hours from his valuable time for my studies and even jeopardized the completion of his own studies before determined deadlines. In general, he enlightened me to a great extent in terms of achieving a scientific perspective and the ethics of science. I am also thankful to Dr. Hasan Ali Karasar and Associate Professor Dr. Erel Tellal for providing me the honour by their participation in my thesis examination committee with their valuable comments. It was also a great pleasure to work with Dr. Hasan Ali Karasar, with whom I achieved great experiences during my assistence in his office. I present special thanks to my precious colleagues in Bilkent Center for Russian Studies, primarily Esin Özalp (a.k.a. Milaya Esinochka ), and Melih Demirta ş (a.k.a. Sumashetshiy Meliusha ) for their valuable support and the unforgettable friendship of Esra Hâle Do ğramacı, Mahir Büyükyılmaz, Abdürrahim Özer, Mustafa Ça ğatay Aslan, Pınar Üre, İbrahim Köremezli, Berat Yıldız, and Valery Morkva. vii My thanks are also due to Burak Bilgehan Özpek, O ğuzhan Mutluer, Aylin Gürzel, Mehmet Özgür Benze ş, Onur Güleren and Ay şen Güven, who never lost their belief for my success and ardently suported my efforts to finalize this study. Last but not least, also thank to my precious parents, Aysema Ça ğda ş, Mustafa Halûk Ça ğda ş, and my beloved sister Seçil Ça ğda ş for their minor but essential support to my studies. viii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ...................................................................................................... iii ÖZET ................................................................................................................. v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................... vii TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................. ix CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ..................................................................... 1 CHAPTER II: FROM THE TEMPORARY AMITY TO THE PERMANENT ENMITY: RUSSIAN IMAGE IN TURKEY UNTIL THE SECOND WORLD WAR ................................................................................. 5 2.1 Mutual Hostile Images between Turks and Russians .................................5 2.1.1 Anti-Muslim Sentiment in Russia until 1917 .......................................6 2.1.2. General Russian Image among Ottomans until 1920s: ...................... 10 2.2. Smoldered Animosity until Atatürk’s Death:........................................... 14 2.2.1 Kemalist-Bolshevik Alliance (1920-1923) as a Turning Point: .......... 14 2.2.2. A Janus-Headed Stance towards the Bolsheviks (1923-1939): ........... 17 CHAPTER III: FROM THE SECOND WORLD WAR TO STALIN’S DEATH: BEGINNING OF THE ANTI-SOVIETISM IN TURKISH PRESS ...........................................................................................................................24 3.1. From the End of Turco-Soviet Honeymoon to 1945: ............................... 24 3.2. The ‘Tan - Tanin’ Clash under the Shadow of the Straits Crisis: ............. 26 3.3. From the Straits of the Crisis to Stalin’s Death ........................................ 37 3.4. Prominent Turkish Newspapers of the Time ........................................... 40 ix CHAPTER IV: THE FEAR OF THE STALIN’S GHOST: FROM THE LEADERSHIP OF MALENKOV TO THE HUNGARIAN UPRISING (1953 – 1956) ...............................................................................................................43 4.1. On the Eve of Stalin’s Death (January – February, 1953): ....................... 43 4.2. Pessimism after Stalin’s Death (March – September, 1953): ................... 48 4.3. The Passive Anti-Sovietism (October 1953 – August 1955): ................... 59 4.3.1. Nationalist Reaction against the Soviet Union: .................................