In November 2023, the Turkish Council of Higher Education introduced a language policy permitting theses in Turkish-medium graduate programs to be written in languages other than Turkish. Although the policy was later reversed, it sparked significant reactions on Twitter. This study examines the ideological underpinnings of these reactions to the language policy, using a critical discourse approach. The results indicate that the policy was framed as a threat to Turkish linguistic and cultural integrity and that raciolinguistic ideologies shaped Twitter users’ perceptions of international students and refugees in Turkish higher education. The paper discusses these findings within the broader discourses of nationalism and immigration by demonstrating how language ideologies are constructed, contested, and negotiated in digital spaces, which often serve as arenas for negotiating language policies. It highlights the significance of public opinion, underpinned by language ideologies, in effectively implementing multilingual language-in-education policies. Additionally, it provides key insights for policymakers, such as proactively addressing ideological concerns about linguistic hierarchies in academia and adopting a diverse and inclusive approach to policy formulation and implementation.
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