Understanding Turkish Student Emigration: Framing and Politicisation Patterns in Turkish Media in 2022-2025

This thesis examines how student migration was framed and politicized in the Turkish media between 2022 and 2025. The initial foundation of this study is based on assessments and statistics from academic sources regarding the recent increase in student and youth migration from Turkey to other countries. However, a theoretical investigation was first conducted to establish a general understanding of the subject, followed by an examination of studies specifically related to Turkey and a review of findings from previous media analyses. These studies laid the groundwork for the thesis's hypotheses and research questions. The study aims to reveal the discourses of elite actors, dominant themes, and periodical differences by analyzing news articles grouped as independent media and mainstream media. Methodologically, the research adopts a mixed qualitative-quantitative frame analysis approach. It examines and codes according to Entman's four-function framing (problem definition, causal explanation, moral evaluation, solution proposal). Furthermore, a scoring system is applied to each news article based on the author, the actors mentioned, the frames employed, and the quotes and keywords that contribute to politicization. A politicization score is determined, and the level of politicization of migration is measured alongside the content of the news. Ultimately, the study reveals that student migration is constructed in the media through two opposing realities. It demonstrates the sharp distinction between independent media and mainstream media through frame analysis, examining this differentiation through the role of the media in influencing public perception.