Effects of the media on public opinion: |the news coverage of three French newspapers during the completion of the EU-Turkey Customs Union

Abstract

The aIm of this study is to investigate the position of three French newspapers, namely Le Figaro, Le Monde and Liberation, over the completion process of the EU-Turkey Customs Union and to see what kind of a position or image was attached to Turkey within the general framework of Turkey-EU relations. The study begins with an overvIew of the basic concepts such as the relationship between the media and public opinion as well as the general Turkey-EU relations until the conclusion of the Customs Union in 1996. In the second part, the study continues with the presentation of the research and the findings. The main hypothesis of the study is that the French press, represented by three French dailies, would attribute a favourable image to Turkey during the completion of the EU-Turkey Customs Union by underlining favourable changes in Turkish domestic politics rather than her shortcomings for becoming a partner of the European countries. Related to this, the French public opinion would become more favourable concerning the general Turkey-EU relations and Turkish membership to the EU. The results showed that the French press had in fact a favourable attitude towards Turkey. However, it continued to underline the shortcomings of Turkey, especially human rights violations, inadequate democratization and repression of minorities.