Döngüsel Tarih Perspektifinden Türk Medya Tarihi: İbn Haldun'un Fikirleri ve İletişim Çalışmaları

This article analyzes Turkish media history through the framework of Ibn Khaldûn’s cyclical theory of history, focusing on the recurrent oscillation between media liberalization and repression under shifting political regimes. The study addresses the central question: How has press freedom in Türkiye been shaped by cyclical dynamics of consent, control, and coercion in relation to political power? Using a historical-comparative and interpretive methodology, the research systematically investigates three critical periods—the Armistice era (1918–1923), the Democrat Party era (1950–1960), and the aftermath of the 1971 military memorandum. Both primary sources (such as period newspapers and legislative texts) and secondary sources (scholarly works) are analyzed thematically to identify the underlying mechanisms and recurring patterns in the expansion and contraction of press freedoms. The findings demonstrate that each political regime, regardless of ideology, initially tolerates or promotes pluralism in the media to generate public consent and strengthen legitimacy. As power becomes consolidated, mechanisms of control—including legal constraints, economic patronage, and administrative pressure—begin to restrict journalistic autonomy. In the face of growing dissent or perceived threats, regimes ultimately turn to overt coercion, such as censorship, legal prosecution, or direct violence against journalists. This cyclical pattern—consent production, control, and coercion—repeats throughout Turkish media history and is interpreted through the Khaldûnian lens of dynastic cycles. By proposing and applying the media cycle model, the article presents an original analytical framework that links historical theory with the political economy of communication, concluding that press freedom in Türkiye remains contingent and vulnerable, shaped by recurring cycles that continue in the digital era.