SECURITIZATION OF MIGRATION: A COMPARATIVE DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF RADICAL RIGHT-WING PARTIES IN TÜRKIYE AND ITALY - EXAMPLES OF VICTORY PARTY AND BROTHERS OF ITALY

The transformation of migration into a national security issue, notably following the 9/11 attacks, has intensified with recent global events such as the Syrian Civil War, and the Taliban's came to power in Afghanistan. This transformation has influenced discourses of political parties and security policies in the European states. In this sense, with the recent migration flows, radical right-wing parties, which already perceive migration as a security issue, have intensified their securitizing rhetoric regarding migrants and have even achieved political gains in some European countries. This thesis explores the securitization of migration by radical right-wing parties in Türkiye and Italy, with a particular focus on the Victory Party (Zafer Partisi) and the Brothers of Italy (Fratelli d’Italia - FDI). Using the Copenhagen School's securitization theory as a constructivist framework, this study conducts a critical discourse analysis to examine how these parties frame migration as a threat to national security, economic stability, and cultural identity.