Constructing the Discursive Frontiers: A Discourse-Theoretical Analysis of the Blue Homeland Doctrine in a TRT Documentary

Abstract

This article examines how Turkey's maritime borders are discursively constructed in the Mavi Vatan [Blue Homeland] doctrine as sites of national identity, historical justice, and power. Analysing a TRT documentary on Mavi Vatan and its YouTube audience reception, this study identifies three nodal points, namely, Homeland, Justice, and Power, that organise a hegemonic discourse linking territorial claims to existential questions. The findings illustrate how the hegemonic claims of the Mavi Vatan doctrine naturalise controversial maritime boundaries, mobilise collective emotion, and construct antagonistic others such as Greece and Western powers. The study highlights the crucial role of media in shaping border imaginaries and argues that the doctrine's success in unifying national sentiment also constrains democratic debate and diplomatic flexibility. By analysing the discursive processes behind frontier-making, the article advances understanding of contemporary nationalism and the politics of borders.