Understanding Inward-Looking Nationalism: An Instrumentalist Approach in Analyzing the Discourse of The People’s Alliance in Turkey
Understanding Inward-Looking Nationalism: An Instrumentalist Approach in Analyzing the Discourse of The People’s Alliance in Turkey

Summary/Abstract: This paper examines the inward-looking nationalism employed by Turkey's People's Alliance (an alliance between the Justice and Development Party and the Nationalist Movement Party). The author argues that this nationalism is instrumentalized to deepen political polarization, creating fear and mistrust among the population. Through critical discourse analysis of the alliance leaders' rhetoric, the study identifies three key themes: the labeling of opponents as traitors; the portrayal of the alliance as the nation's savior; and the determination of national belonging through the "native and national" debate. The paper draws on theories of instrumentalism in nationalism, particularly the work of Paul Brass, to analyze how the alliance uses nationalist discourse to consolidate power and suppress dissent.

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