"Syriana Non Grata": Representation of Syrians in Turkish Humorous Magazines

Kenan Koçak

Abstract


This article examines representations of Syrian refugees in Turkish humorous magazines through close readings of three caricatures published between 2013 and 2024. Drawing on social semiotics and Žižek’s (1993) concept of the “national Thing”, it argues that caricatures depict Syrians not only as cultural outsiders but also as figures implicated in the perceived loss of enjoyment, mobility, and economic security among Turkish citizens. Through close readings organised around integration, exclusion, and leisure, the study shows how satirical media both register and unsettle everyday nationalist anxieties. It positions caricature as a primary site for interpreting the affective and ideological grammar of migration discourse in Türkiye.

Keywords


Syrian refugees; political caricature; Turkish satire; nationalism; enjoyment; migration discourse

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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17951/lsmll.2026.50.2.44-55
Date of publication: 2026-07-10 10:36:03
Date of submission: 2025-12-30 23:24:13


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