Article

Introduction

Good afternoon everyone. My name is Huseyin Demir. I am an exiled law professor who is currently a political refugee in Germany and I am honored to address you today under the roof of Lithunian Parliament which is a powerful symbol of Lithuanian democracy.
I will be talking about hate speech used by the media and its impacts on targeted groups. While I am doing that I will specifically focus on Turkish media and hate speech against a particular social movement namely Gülen Movement as an outstanding example of hate speech campaign.

Definition of Hate Speech

Despite its frequent usage, there is no consensus on a definition of hate speech. Some Scholars stress the wounding and vilifying character of hate speech, stating that ‘any form of expression directed at objects of prejudice that perpetrators use to wound and vilify its recipient is hate speech.

 According to some others, members of targeted groups are delegitimized, demonized, or portrayed as inferior in hate speech. It has also been drawn attentions to the irrational, disapproving, hypercritical, unjustified expressional characteristics of hate speech.