Representation of Atomic Bomb in Turkish Press (1945-1946)

Abstract

Use of the atomic bomb in the World War II was the beginning of a transformation in the world public opinion towards nuclear weapons. Frequent protests, activities of nongovernmental organisations and news in the press caused a kind of consciousness and in turn fear and anxiety in the world public about nuclear weapons. Increase in the fear and anxiety of people started to transform the politics. In this article, the image of atomic bomb in Turkey during this early transformation period was examined through Cumhuriyet newspaper between 6 August 1945-31 December 1946 by content analysis method. The research question is "How was the use of the atomic bomb evaluated in the Turkish press at that time?". As a result of this study, it is seen that Cumhuriyet newspaper used a balanced language and avoided intimidating the public. Even though the newspaper suceeded to give information about the negative effects of the bomb, it could not have a leading role in giving rise to a movement against nuclear weapons.