Siege of Leningrad: Reflection and Assessment in Turkish Press during Second World War

Abstract

The article examines the representation of the Siege of Leningrad in leading Turkish publications of the Second World War period. It considers issues regarding the reflection of Turkey's foreign policy features in the press. The sources include mass-circulation media with diverse political orientations: Ulus (The Nation), Cumhuriyet (The Republic), Son Posta (The Last Post), Akşam (The Evening), among others. Data concerning the attitudes of the Turkish establishment and military toward events on the Leningrad front are introduced into scholarly discourse for the first time. Results of a comparative analysis of assessments of these events in governmental and liberal media are presented. Attention is paid to information regarding the military situation at different stages of the fighting for Leningrad. The issue is raised regarding the specifics of the information policy of İsmet İnönü's government as a reflection of its aspiration to fully control the press during the war years. It is reported that the Turkish press transmitted information about the Siege of Leningrad comparatively rarely. Emphasis is placed on the fact that primary attention was devoted to the military aspect of the matter. It is shown that little attention was paid to the heroism of the civilian population. It is proven that the reason for this was the unwillingness of the Turkish authorities to damage relations with Germany. It is established that the cause of strict censorship control over publication content was the desire of the authorities not to violate Turkey's neutrality. A conclusion is drawn that events on the Leningrad front were covered solely from a military perspective, while the role of the civilian population remained unaddressed.