The history of the “deep state”—also known as Ergenekon—in Turkey starts with the foundation of the modern republic. Although references to the deep state date back to an earlier period, this essay examines coverage of it in the Turkish media during the late 1990s and the early-twenty-first century. Ergenekon was conceptualized, debated, defined, and redefined by the media; it was brought to public attention by the media, not by state officials, the police, politicians, inspectors, or members of the organization. The author's intent is not to redefine Ergenekon yet again but to analyze the meaning of the organization Ergenekon, how that meaning is continually defined and redefined by the media, and how the facts related to Ergenekon are interpreted by the media.
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