Analysis of the Political Discourses of the Ruling and Opposition Parties Regarding the New Regulations in the Internet Law in Turkey

Basic regulations regarding the internet in Turkey consist of the law no. 5651 which was accepted and went into effect in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TGNA) in 2007. Along with the law no. 6158 “The Law About Amending the Decree-Law Concerning the Organization and Duties of the Ministry of Family and Social Policy and Changes in Some Laws and Decree-Laws” which went into effect by being released in the Official Gazette at February 19 2014, a set of new regulations also were made regarding the law no. 5651. This study aims to put forth how the new internet law is given meaning in the political discourses of the ruling and opposition parties. The TGNA minutes of general meeting were examined in the study so that the discourses of the ruling and opposition parties regarding the regulations made in the internet law could be analyzed. In the sessions realized between December 17, 2013 and February 28, 2014, all assessments conducted regarding the subject at hand were included in the study. The reason why the minutes of general meeting in between the suggested years were examined is due to the fact that a proposed law regarding a set of changes made concerning the internet law was presented to the general meeting by some congressmen of the ruling party at December 17, 2013 and that another proposed law was also presented to the general meeting by some congressmen of the ruling party at January 6, 2014. These proposed laws form a significant aspect of the discussions made regarding the new internet law. The study also contains an approximate 10-day process after the release date of the bill in order to set forth the reactions given subsequent to it taking effect by becoming a law. In order to put forth how the new internet law is given meaning in the political discourses of the ruling and opposition parties, the minutes of general meeting that provide an important data in examining the political speeches of politicians were analyzed pursuant to the relations put forth by the ideological discourse analysis. In the political speeches which is a form of political communication, how the subject is handled in the political discourses of politicians, how the actors are defined, how the politicians present their policies and the reality attempted to be created on these discourses were tried to be established.