Analysis of Second Karabakh War news in print media: A case study of Sözcü and Yeni Şafak newspapers

The main focus of the research is to determine how news articles in the written press framed the Second Karabakh War from different perspectives within the framework of framing theory. In this context, the conceptual framework of the research is grounded in three main sections. The first section discusses the historical background and developments of the Second Karabakh War. The reasons for the outbreak of the war, conflict dynamics between the parties, and the political and social factors in the region are examined. Additionally, the international dimension and effects of the Second Karabakh War are evaluated in this section. In the second section, a brief overview of war in general and its causes is provided, and an attempt is made to identify the dimensions of the relationship between war and the media. Subsequently, the basic concepts of framing theory and its relationship with the media are thoroughly discussed. In the final, third section, all the news related to the subject during the 44-day period from the start of the Second Karabakh War on September 27, 2020, to the signing of the peace agreement on November 10, 2020, in the selected samples of Sözcü and Yeni Şafak newspapers are examined. Existing frameworks in the literature were used to identify the frames of the news, and the news articles related to the topic were analyzed using content analysis method. As a result of the study, it was found that both newspapers criticized Armenia's aggressive stance and unjust attacks negatively. Yeni Şafak newspaper displayed stronger reactions against Armenia's aggression, emphasizing the support provided by the Republic of Turkey to Azerbaijan during the war and highlighting the solidarity of the Turkish nation with the Azerbaijani people. On the other hand, in some news articles in Sözcü newspaper, more cautious expressions regarding the war were observed.