Best Frenemies : Russian state media framing of Turkish foreign policy after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

Sammanfattning

This thesis explores how RT frames Turkish foreign policy following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Using role theory, particularly Holsti’s concept of role prescriptions, the study examines how the Russian state media assigns roles to Turkey within its geopolitical narratives. The analysis is based on an inductive thematic content analysis of 161 RT articles in Russian, published between February and May 2022. The findings reveal that RT assigns Turkey a range of roles instead of a single stance. Most notably, Turkey is depicted as a country in tension with the West and as a pragmatic economic partner of Russia. Other roles, such as mediator, bridge builder, humanitarian actor, and a nation guided by international law, support this narrative, while Turkey’s alignment with Ukraine and the West is shown as limited or secondary. Seen through role theory, these patterns act as altercasting, creating expectations that support Russian geopolitical interests. The study contributes by demonstrating how state-aligned media shapes and legitimizes foreign policy roles.