Research Information System
5th International Congress of Multidisciplinary Social Sciences, Ankara, Turkey, 21 - 22 May 2023, pp.88-89, (Summary Text)
The Arab Spring, which started in Tunisia in 2010 and affected North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula,
emerged as a reaction to authoritarian regimes, human rights violations, poverty and corruption. This
mobility, which deeply affected the political and social order, affected not only the countries where the
protests took place, but also the countries with geographical proximity. The effect of the Arab Spring did
not bring democracy in all countries. It increased the regime struggle, protests and violence in Syria, which
was negatively affected in the process. During the civil war that broke out, millions of Syrians had to leave
their country. In this context, because of the factors such as its geographical location and political attitude,
Turkey has started to lead the countries that have been affected by the great wave of migration, with.
In this research, the role of the media in the formation of perception in Turkey, which hosts the highest
number of Syrian refugees with 3.441.029 people registered under temporary protection status, is discussed.
Media is a dominant factor in managing the formation of perception. Within the scope of the research, the
role of the media in the formation of the perception of Syrian refugees was examined in multi-focused
interviews and newspaper texts. In the first stage, interviews were held with media organizations, NGOs,
academics and asylum seekers. It has been stated here that the perception of Syrian refugees is mostly
negative. In this context, Syrian refugees are shown at the center of economic problems, defined as an
obstacle to employment and presented as a security threat. It ensures that the sole cause of public problems
is gathered in the subject of Syrian refugees. This discourse, which was declared in the interviews conducted
within the scope of the research, was examined in the newspaper headlines of different views and compared
with the interview outputs. As a result of the discourse analysis in the newspapers, similar negative contents
were seen in the opinion that the Syrian refugees threaten the country and create an economic burden by
getting help. On the other hand, there are also texts that explain the contribution of Syrian refugees to the
production process and create a positive perception. The research outputs show that the media's free
environment, the words it uses and its approach to the subject shape the public mindset in creating news.
Keywords: Syrian refugee, media, media perception, perception management