Democraticwashing in Turkey Through Undermining Propaganda in School Textbooks

This paper analyses Turkish school textbooks through the conceptual framework of undermining propaganda, a term proposed by Jason Stanley to describe a form of propaganda that outwardly affirms democratic ideals while eroding their meaning in practice, and links its mechanisms to the broader phenomenon of democraticwashing. According to Stanley, undermining propaganda functions by presenting content that appears to promote democratic values, such as equality, freedom, or pluralism, yet communicating it in ways that hollow out these ideals and prevent their genuine realization. Drawing on a propaganda model developed by the author, the study demonstrates that Turkish textbooks systematically employ discursive strategies that create the appearance of democratic education, through selective references to diversity, environmental awareness, or civic values, while neutralizing the transformative potential of these themes. In this context, undermining propaganda functions as a tool for democraticwashing: it introduces seemingly critical content only to erode, dilute, or contradict it, maintaining the ideological status quo. The analysis shows that Turkish textbooks routinely acknowledge topics such as climate change, discrimination, human rights, or democracy, yet avoid naming the actors responsible for structural issues in these domains. Climate change is presented as a global problem, for instance, without identifying the fossil-fuel industry, militarism, industrial agriculture, or state-led economic policies as its primary causes. What looks like an effort to raise ecological awareness becomes an example of undermining propaganda: the critique is initiated but immediately emptied of its analytical force. By giving partial recognition to the problem and obscuring its origins, the textbooks perform a form of democraticwashing, projecting an image of democratic sensitivity while protecting state narratives and economic priorities. Similarly, the frequent invocation of Turkey’s “cultural mosaic” exemplifies another layer of this mechanism. The textbooks celebrate diversity in abstract terms while erasing concrete minority identities such as Kurds, Alevis, Armenians, and LGBT+ individuals. The discourse suggests pluralism but removes the presence of any group that would challenge the dominant national identity. This sanitised portrayal not only constitutes card stacking via censorship but also reinforces democraticwashing: the system appears inclusive while structurally denying inclusion. Undermining propaganda is further visible in the contradictory messages embedded in civic education. Students are taught the importance of equality, tolerance, and secular citizenship, yet the textbooks employ a homogenous Sunni-Muslim, nationalist perspective that contradicts these stated values. Principles of freedom of belief are introduced, but the language presupposes a Sunni audience. Gender equality is nominally endorsed, but illustrations overwhelmingly center boys and reinforce traditional roles. These contradictions generate a façade of democratic pedagogy while reproducing state ideology. The paper argues that undermining propaganda sustains democraticwashing in Turkish education by simulating democratic discourse without enabling critical thinking. By offering symbolic recognition of democratic principles while withholding structural analysis, the textbooks maintain authoritarian-nationalist narratives under the guise of inclusive education. Ultimately, the study concludes that democraticwashing in Turkish textbooks is a form of propaganda, one that undermines its own democratic claims to preserve the continuity of the official state narrative.