Media and collective memory: An analysis on 15 july coup attempt

This study is an examination of the collective memory of the July 15th coup attempt. The collective memory was conveyed within the framework of the theoretical discussion drawn by Halbwachs. In this respect, social memory is conceptualized as a field of struggle built on the basis of group identity and present constructions. The construction of memory constructed in present on gives it a political quality. Therefore, collective memory is an efficient and effective field in the construction of nation-identity. Halbwachs's statement that memory exists in sociality refers to social reminders. The development of communication technologies has extended the human memory, expanded memory itself and enabled its transfer. Thus, the media became the most important social reminder of collective memory. On the other hand, the superiority of the media in the nation-building narratives placed it at a critical point in the construction of authority's collective memory. The 15 July coup attempt is an important social event to capture the collective memory that the AKP government has built in recent years. On the other hand; the position of the media in the 15 July coup attempt made it possible to examine the issue within the framework of the relationship between media and collective memory. The conceptual discussion also determined the method of study. Thus, the study was designed as a qualitative research and the data were collected through in-depth interview method. The study aimed to determine the memory regime of the political power and the place of the media in the construction of the collective memory of the 15 July coup attempt.