New Delhi: Under Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s rule, Turkey has undergone a dramatic transformation from a relatively secular, pro-Western democracy to a country moving towards Islamist populism. Central to this transformation has been Erdogan’s use of the media as a strategic weapon, both at domestic and international fronts.
Analysts have raised concerns that Erdogan’s government has gone beyond domestic control of press freedom and has now adopted a deliberate strategy of international ideological export. Turkish state-run media outlets which once hired Western journalists, are now seeing an influx of Pakistani nationals with strong ideological leanings.
Currently, nearly half of the editorial staff at these news outlets comprises Pakistani nationals. Many of these journalists have known affiliations with hardline ideologies, and some have shown clear sympathies with separatist movements in South Asia. Turkish media is now actively providing a platform to voice the narrative of Islamabad and anti-India sentiments.
Foreign policy observers argue that the placement of Pakistani journalists in Turkish media is not merely a reflection of Ankara-Islamabad camaraderie — it may very well be an orchestrated move by the media wing of Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the ISI. The intent is to amplify Pakistani geopolitical interests, challenge Indian narratives, and use Turkish soft power as a megaphone for radical Islam.
One of the most tragic consequences of this media radicalization is the cultural loss within Turkey itself. Historically, rooted in Sufi traditions, Turkish Islam was celebrated for its pluralism and syncretism. However, with the increasing dominance of Pakistani-Deobandi interpretations of Islam promoted by the new wave of Pakistani journalists and clerics, there is a growing concern about an erosion of Turkey’s spiritual heritage.
This ideological shift is being fueled not only through newsrooms but also through Turkey’s expanding religious institutions. The Diyanet or DIB, Turkey’s powerful Presidency of Religious Affairs, has witnessed exponential growth in both influence and budget. It is actively promoting a curriculum increasingly aligned with political Islam.
The Pahalgam attack, which left 26 Indian Hindus dead, triggered ‘Operation Sindoor’ and marked a major escalation of the India-Pakistan conflict. Turkey’s military, diplomatic and media support to Pakistan has added fuel to fire.
President Erdogan met Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif hours after the Pahalgam attack which was conducted by The Resistance Front (TRF), an extended group of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Soon after the Pahalgam attack, the Pakistani Army pledged “unwavering support” to such terror groups on Kashmir.
Post Operation Sindoor, Erdogan vocally condemned India’s air strikes, reiterating solidarity with Pakistan during a call with Sharif.
Hours after the Pahalgam attack, pro-Pakistani Turkish media echoed Pakistani Defence Minister Khwaja Asif’s ludicrous claim to Al-Jazeera that the massacre was a “false flag operation” by India.
As Pakistan attacked India’s civilian areas with 300-400 Asisguard Songar quadrotor Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs) and Bayraktar Yiha-III drones on May 8-9, targetting several Indian cities, the Turkish media continued peddling Pakistan’s narrative. (IANS)
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