Turkey's foreign policy in Libya as reflected in the Libyan media

This thesis examines how Turkey's foreign policy towards Libya is represented in the Libyan media and analyzes the impact of these representations on public perceptions of Turkey in Libya. The study aims to reveal the nature of the image of Turkey as shaped by media narratives and to determine how Libyan media institutions influence this image. The research is structured within the framework of the Agenda-Setting Theory and adopts a combination of the historical method, content analysis, and the reciprocal relations approach. In this context, selected content from various Libya-based news websites, published during a defined period, was systematically analyzed. The findings indicate a significant diversity in the Libyan media discourse regarding Turkey, strongly correlated with the political orientations of the media outlets themselves. At times, Turkey is portrayed as a strategic partner and a stabilizing actor; at other times, it is depicted as an interventionist force. The results demonstrate that media discourse in Libya plays a crucial role in shaping public opinion about foreign policy. Accordingly, the study recommends strengthening media cooperation between Turkey and Libya, enhancing the media literacy of journalists, and promoting a more balanced and realistic narrative that supports mutual understanding and rapprochement between the two nations.