Political Communication Campaigns and Sterilization of Politics in Turkey?New Right? policies and neo-liberalism had spread all over the world in the 1970?s and have taken Turkey under their influence in the 1980?s, thus, created a transformation within political area. In the era which has started with 12 September 1980 Military Coup, political parties were often made to close, party-voter ties loosened, and politics became sterilized as a result of banning attitude of Political Parties Law. In that period political parties refrained from radical discourses and moved close to the center. Parties who moved to the center have no real differences from each other. They have similar programs. To be noticed, leader images became important within politics.Politicians are being represented to the ?consumers? after a packaging and image process just like any drink, clothes or technologic tool in the market. Consumer concept in the previous phrase refers to the fact that every voter has turned into a consumer in front of the mass media tools such as newspaper, radio, television or internet.In our day, where everything has turned into commodities, politics became pop and turned into a spectacle. As ?star? politicians forestalled political parties and ideas, concept of ?image? has moved into the focus of political communication.Media can attract the attention of the audience to a specific issue by ?agenda setting?. Agenda setting gains importance for politicians especially during election periods. That is because politicians need to be visible in the media with positive messages.For a topic to attract the attention of the media and the population, it should be dramatic, entertaining, funny or interesting. As politicians are aware of the importance of being visible in the media for challenging with their competitors, they spend efforts to be in dramatic, entertaining and interesting situations. About this issue, politicians usually get service from professional political image makers.Today, professional image makers are said to be the ?secret and the real? powers within political world.Transformation within Turkish media is the other reason for politics within Turkey to become leader centered, and image to gain importance. As private TV channels period started in the 1990?s, a new platform of propaganda has formed within politics.Private television channels has turned leaders into actors for news and engrossed in their private life. Today, leaders are becoming guests of the audience everyday, with their daily lives, mistakes and gaffes.In this thesis, 22 July 2007 General Elections have been analyzed as a case study and literature scanning and depth interview methods have been used.As Justice and Development Party (Ak Party) and Republican People?s Party (CHP) have gained the most of the votes and as they were standing on the opposite poles within political scale, this thesis has specifically focused on their election campaigns.Ak Party and CHP news on Hürriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Yeni Şafak and Cumhuriyet daily newspapers, which took place between the dates 01 July 2007 and 23 July 2007, have been analyzed. Aforesaid newspapers had been chosen as a result of following reasons: Cumhuriyet newspaper is radical republican and supported CHP. Yeni Şafak newspaper is conservative rightist and supported Ak Party. Hürriyet is closer to central right. Milliyet newspaper is closer to central left and targets a general reader?s scale and Sabah newspaper had been chosen because before the elections The Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) had taken the control of the paper and after that point, Sabah started to support the governmental party, Ak Party very obviously.Key Words: Political communication, propaganda, image, political sterilization, election campaigns, political advertising, 22 July 2007 General Elections in Turkey.

Siyasal İletişim Kampanyaları ve Türkiye'de Siyasetin Sterilizasyonu1970'lerde dünyaya yayılan ?Yeni Sağ? politikalar ve neo-liberalizmin 1980'lerde Türkiye'yi etkisi altına alması siyasal alanda dönüşümler yaratmıştır. Türkiye'de 12 Eylül 1980 Askeri Darbesi'yle başlayan süreçte Siyasal Partiler Kanunu'nun yasakçı yapısı dolayısıyla partiler sık sık kapatılmış, parti-seçmen bağı zayıflamış, siyaset sterilize olmuştur. Herşeyin alınıp satılabilen bir metaya dönüştüğü günümüzde siyaset poplaşmış ve gösteriye dönüşmüştür. ?Yıldız? politikacıların, partiler ve fikirlerin önüne geçmesi, imaj kavramını siyasal iletişimin merkezine taşımıştır.Tez çalışmasında 22 Temmuz 2007 seçimleri örnek olay olarak incelenmiş, ?Kaynak Tarama? ve ?Derinlemesine Görüşme? teknikleri kullanılmıştır.Anahtar Kelimeler: Siyasal iletişim, propaganda, imaj, siyasal sterilizasyon, seçim kampanyası, siyasal reklam, 22 Temmuz 2007 Genel Seçimleri.