Dreaming the active citizenship: a debate on the Roma/Gypsy opening and its news media coverage in Turkey

Abstract

The Roma Opening process of the ruling party of Turkey resulted in disappointment for Roma, similar to other opening processes regarding the rights and demands of the Kurdish and Alevite communities and their respective civil society organizations. This paper focuses on the dynamics and results of the Roma opening process within the framework of prospects for developing the notion of active citizenship in Turkey. The article also addresses the news media coverage of the Roma opening process and its aftermath, again investigating the role of the media in enhancing the ideals of active citizenship. Within these considerations, after a theoretical debate on the importance of active citizenship and the role of the media in its development, the Turkish case of the Roma/Gypsy question will be discussed concerning the Roma Opening process and its news media coverage based on a qualitative content analysis. Finally, particular attention will be devoted to the structural limits of active citizenship in Turkey.